Fajardo plots payback vs Kiwis, Taiwanese

June Mar Fajardo couldn’t wait to face New Zealand and Chinese Taipei when Gilas Pilipinas competes in the FIBA Asia Cup from 5 to 17 August in Riyadh.

The gentle giant from Cebu said he is thrilled to face the Kiwis and the Taiwanese as they seek to avenge their previous loss in the qualifiers.

The Taiwanese caught the Filipinos napping as they posted an 84-91 win on 20 February before New Zealand added to their woes with an 87-70 victory three days later.

Now, they have a chance to seek payback as they will join their tormentors in Group D together with minnow Iran in the prestigious Asian tourney.

‘It’s still early in the conference. So, we still have a lot of adjustments to make and time to address our lapses.’

Fajardo said he will prepare hard for the Kiwis and the Taiwanese as soon as his commitment with San Miguel Beer in the ongoing Philippine Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is over.

“I’m excited to face them again but for now, I don’t want to think about it,” Fajardo said.

“I want to focus on the PBA for now.”

With Kai Sotto still rehabilitating from a knee injury and reinforcement Justin Brownlee still doubtful after testing positive for a banned substance for the second time, the eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player is expected to step up for Gilas Pilipinas.

In the qualifiers, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo averaged 10 points and 5.3 rebounds to help Gilas win their first four games before dropping the last two, no thanks to the knee injury suffered by the 7-foot-3 Sotto.

But for now, Fajardo’s focus is on helping the Beermen regain the all-Filipino crown.

“It’s still early in the conference. So, we still have a lot of adjustments to make and time to address our lapses,” said Fajardo, whose team is bracing for a blockbuster duel with Barangay Ginebra on Friday.