Kim Malabunga made a much-anticipated return to the Spikers’ Turf on Sunday night, nearly two months after a freak accident sidelined him on the opening day of the 2024 Invitational Conference.
The Alas Pilipinas captain and Criss Cross King Crunchers’ starting middle blocker sustained injuries during a warmup session last October 16, prior to their season-opening match. He landed awkwardly on a stray ball, dislocating his right ankle and spraining his left, which led to a six-week recovery period.
Although still not at 100 percent, Malabunga marked his comeback just in time for the King Crunchers’ pivotal round-robin semifinal clash against the Cignal HD Spikers.
“Actually, ‘yung feeling ko kanina bago ako lumabas sa court, sobrang kinakabahan ako kasi hindi ko alam kung makakapag-perform ba ako nang ayos kasi halos two months nga ako nawala dahil sa injury ko,” said the National University alumnus.
“Ang mindset ko na lang ay kailangan ng team ng tulong kasi ‘yung ibang middle medyo nawawalan ng laro. So kahit masakit pa rin ‘yung paa ko, nilaban ko na ‘yung laro kanina para makatulong—nakatulong naman kahit papaano.”
Malabunga entered the match as a substitute in the second set and started the third and fourth frames, contributing four points to help Criss Cross secure a thrilling 25-20, 22-25, 25-12, 26-24 victory at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
After the match, the 6-foot-5 middle blocker was quick to evaluate his performance critically.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Siguro need ko pa mag-focus sa therapy para makasabay ako kasi kita naman sa laro kanina, sobrang bagal pa ng approach ko. Hindi pa ako makatalon nang ayos,” he admitted.
“Ang hirap kasi kapag gusto ng utak mo pero hindi makasunod ‘yung katawan. So ngayong week, kailangan ko pang sipagan sa therapy.”
Despite being a step behind his usual form, Malabunga’s presence bolstered the King Crunchers, who remain favorites to secure a spot in the gold medal match. Criss Cross holds a flawless 2-0 record in the semifinals, extending their winning streak to eight games dating back to the preliminaries.
The King Crunchers are set to face Savouge on Wednesday at the San Juan Arena before taking on Japanese guest team Hyogo on Friday at the Philsports Arena. Should they advance, the gold medal match is scheduled for Sunday, December 15, at the same venue.
Malabunga’s absence over the past two months opened opportunities for other middle blockers, a challenge Gian Glorioso, Rex Intal, and Chu Njigha embraced valiantly.
Glorioso emerged as the league’s top blocker during the preliminaries with an impressive 33 kill blocks while also ranking 12th in scoring with 83 points.
“Sobrang saya ko kasi ‘yung ibang middles nag-step up talaga, na kailangang-kailangan ng team na ganoon. Kita naman, gumagawa naman sila,” Malabunga said.
