After two devastating injuries to key players, Ateneo head coach Sergio Veloso hopes the Blue Eagles remain steadfast in UAAP Season 87.
Ateneo head coach Sergio Veloso encouraged the Blue Eagles to continue pushing in UAAP Season 87, despite key players Geezel Tsunashima and Jlo Delos Santos suffering season-ending injuries early in the tournament.
Having confirmed that both players needed surgery for their respective injuries, Veloso said that he motivated his players to continue showing up for the games, despite everything that has happened after the opening weekend.
[RELATED: UAAP: Ateneo dealt blow as Zel Tsunashima, Jlo Delos Santos suffer season-ending injuries]
Especially after seeing Tsunashima’s freak injury during their game against Adamson last Sunday, Veloso held tight on his mantra of “strong hearts, strong minds”.
“It’s our words, strong hearts, strong minds. I told the players that sometimes, we don’t know what God’s purpose [is]. We know that it’s a time to show that we have a strong heart and strong mind,” Veloso told reporters ahead of Ateneo’s game against NU on Wedensday.
“It’s part of the sport, when you’re playing high-level sport, sometimes you have accidents. And this situation is totally understandable. But with the girls strong, our program and physical conditioning, we can recover faster. This is the focus of our plan. We need to prepare. We need to prevent some situations but when this situation happens, you need to recover faster,” he added.
Veloso confirmed that Tsunashima already had surgery, with the freak injury breaking her shin, both the tibia and the fibula. But the Brazilian mentor looked at the bright spot and said that her player is already in the process of recovery.
“Zel needed surgery a few days ago. She broke it, the tibia and the fibula. But now, she’s [doing] okay,” said Veloso.
“She started the therapy. But unfortunately, the situation is that she cannot play any more this season.”
As for Delos Santos, Veloso said that she fell awkwardly during a tune-up ahead of their opening game against Adamson which deemed her out of commission. She’s slated for surgery to repair an ACL injury in the coming days.
“Jlo, I think tomorrow, she will undergo surgery too. Because when she landed over, like Geezel, it’s the same… When she bended the knee, she had a problem in her ACL.” said Veloso.
Now, a undermanned Ateneo squad will have to make do for the rest of the season.
As of press time, the Blue Eagles are battling the NU Lady Bulldogs in the hopes of an upset win to barge into the win column at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
(With reports from Enrique Paolo Campos/UAAP Varsity Channel)