Fear reared its ugly head on Gilas Pilipinas Monday after Poy Erram hurt his ankle during a scrimmage.
The 6-foot-7 slotman grimaced in pain while lying on the floor. He had landed awkwardly on his right ankle after he tried to put back Robert Bolick’s missed shot.
“Medyo tumupi eh,” the 30-year-old recalled of the injury, which he incurred with just about 20 minutes left in their two-hour session.
“Pagbaba kasi tinry ko pa umangat, so yung force, pababa.”
Team physician Dex Aseron’s diagnosis is a sprained ankle, and it means that Erram is listed as day-to-day.
Erram said that he has hurt his right ankle a few times before. But based on past experiences, the six-year pro asserted that he can manage the pain and return to practice the next day.
“Usually naman ‘pag natatapilok ako, ‘di naman siya ganun [kalala]. Kinabukasan, kaya ko ulit i-practice,” he said.
Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and Erram hopes to recover and heal as quickly as he can, especially now that the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China is just 12 days from now.
“Sana bukas pahinga lang, ta’s balik na ulit,” he said. “Kaya kailangan maging healthy lahat – yan sinasabi ni coach (Yeng Guiao). Kailangan lahat healthy kami, lalo na kasi konti lang ang player.
“Konti lang kami. ‘Pag may nangyaring masama, bawas na kami ng isa. ‘Pag nabawasan pa ulit, mahirap na. So kailangan ingatan talaga yung katawan namin.”
