JUNE Mar Fajardo and Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes are stories of inspirations to ponder on. Fajardo (I don?t like his moniker ?Kraken?) has said that if he had his way, he would not have pursued a career in basketball. But because God gave him height, his wish got derailed?naturally.
By some dint of destiny, Fajardo would only start playing basketball in high school?and not even with dogged determination as did most youths his age.
But because he kept on growing, he was practically forced by his friends to stick to the game.
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And, yes, soon enough, he was also being egged on to embrace basketball by his own father?after seeing the vast potential of having a skyscraper for a son. In this country, you tower to 6?9,? you are a surefire goldmine.
And so, from Pinamungajan, Fajardo would see himself getting transplanted to Cebu City, where he would quickly become a college cage superstar. In no time, June Mar would trail blaze in the Philippine Basketball Association. At 24, he won the 2013 PBA Most Valuable Player award.
With fame came fortune. But June Mar stayed glued to earth. Upon early signs of the good life, June Mar?s first move was buy his Mom a Toyota Fortuner?to go with a new house for his beaming Dad.
Great kid, this June Mar.
Just on Sunday, Fajardo scored 21 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked 4 shots to lead San Miguel Beer to a 79-77 squeaker over Barangay Ginebra. It was a fitting gift for himself as June Mar would turn 25 the next day, Nov. 17.
The night before, Nietes would stop Mexico?s Carlos Velarde in the seventh round in Cebu?s Pinoy Pride XXVIII put up as usual by Tony and Mike Aldeguer.
The win virtually clinched for Nietes the rare honor of erasing the record of Flash Elorde?s longest reign as a Filipino world boxing champion for 7 years and 3 months. That becomes official on Jan. 1, 2015.
A superstar at 24 like Fajardo, the 4-foot-11 Nietes, now 32, is from Murcia, Negros Occidental.
Donnie, who has a snake for a pet, was a mere janitor at Tony Aldeguer?s boxing gym in Cebu when Tony realized his mop man could also fight. Nietes? remarkable record now as world champ in straw and jr. flyweight (108 lb) divisions is 34-1-4, with 20 KOs.
Great kid, this Ahas. June Mar, too.
