Jack Animam has been cleared to play after suffering an ACL injury last year and is back in the country to practice with Gilas Womens.
Five-time UAAP champion and Gilas mainstay Jack Animam is back in the Philippines and is finally cleared to play a year after suffering an ACL injury while playing in Serbia.
After spending time doing her rehabilitation in the US, Animam rejoined the national team’s practice this week, easing her way to make up for lost time and form.
"Now that I'm cleared to play, I'm just so excited to get back out there and play again. All throughout my rehab journey, it's not always sunshine and rainbows," said the 6-foot-2 center.
"I think this is the best shape I've been pre-injury. I really feel good about my body. I worked hard all those 10 months of recovery. I know I can come out stronger and better than I was before."
Animam was also seen supporting the Lady Bulldogs on their way to sweeping the first-round of the UAAP Season 85 women's basketball tournament at the Ynares Center, Antipolo.
No one is happier than her mentor, head coach Pat Aquino, in seeing her development after her injury and has bared his plans to include Jack in the preparations for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games set in Cambodia next year where they will gun for a third straight gold medal.
"If you could see my smile, sobrang happy that she's back. But definitely, a lot of work to do for her. The thing is it’s not just for me but the whole team is happy to have her back and hopefully, it’s gonna be a good training coming to next year's tournaments," Aquino told the media during the closed practice of Gilas women at the Aero Center Basketball Court in Quezon City on Wednesday.
Animam will be staying in the country to train with Gilas for the meantime but revealed that teams have been inquiring after her successful recovery, including her former club Radnicki Kragujevac in Serbia and teams in Israel.
"My agents are currently talking with the teams in Israel but also my team in Serbia, they want me back, but I don't know," she said.
"I told my agent, since I'm getting out of injury, whatever you think is the best for me, especially coming back from injury. Parang big deal to ngayon sa akin to slowly build my confidence again and to get back to my 100 percent pre-injury (condition)," she added.
Tags: women’s basketball, Gilas, NU