A year removed after suffering an eye injury that almost led to the end of her basketball career, Titans’ Trina Guytingco is back in the fold for Manila Hustle 3x3.
Overcoming injury has always been part and parcel for the life of an athlete. No matter what level of sport, injuries are a reality that each and every sportsman and sportswoman faces.
Hearing the words that you might not be able to play again, though, is something that is tough to recover from. But for Titans’ Trina Guytingco, it wasn’t something that was about to stop her from playing the game she loves.
More than a year removed from a devastating eye injury that sidelined her for months during last year’s Manila Hustle 3x3, the former Ateneo standout found herself back where she started, suiting up for the same team that missed her last year because of the injury in the third edition of the 3x3 invitational.
“I’m just really happy to be on the court again. Last year, obviously, is not something that I wanted to happen, but, you know, it was a great year for my growth mentally, and I think that there were a lot of challenges that I faced that I overcame that ultimately made me stronger, not even just as a basketball player, but as a person,” Guytingco told One Sports.
“So mentally, I feel I'm just happy to be here again.”
Against doctors’ advice, she made her way back into playing form and is now sporting protective glasses to avoid another mishap like last year’s.
Despite it being an uphill battle both physically and mentally, Guytingco knew that she still had more to give to women’s basketball.
“There were doctors that were telling me initially that I shouldn't play basketball anymore because I basically lost a good percentage of my vision in my right eye, but because I love the game so much, I didn't want to give it up,” she said.
“I’m not ready yet. So that's why I was stubborn, and I really wanted to push through and play basketball still,” Guytingco added.
While Guytingco’s team in Manila Hustle is looking for redemption, after falling short of the championship last year in the Finals, she said she was simply happy to be here and hoped that it would end up with everyone still healthy and fit.
After suffering her injury in the first game of the tournament last year, Guytingco will be satisfied to make it through the weekend.
“To be honest, I just want everyone to end this tournament healthy. No matter win or lose, I just want everyone to have a great time and just come out healthy,” she said.
Still, the Titans looked poised for a deep run after going 3-0 in Pool Play after Day 1 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.
They drubbed Royals Basketball in the opener, 15-7, before beating fellow Philippine team Uratex Tibay, 21-15. The Titans capped off the day with a 21-16 victory over Japan's Tokyo BB.