Gollena wore an arm sleeve in honor of Abadam in game against Ateneo
Photo source: Vyn Radovan & UAAP Media Team
The DLSU Green Archers advanced to 10 wins after claiming victory over the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Sunday at the MOA Arena. One of the important contributing players was EJ Gollena, who wore a new accessory on the court, and finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.
“If you know me personally, I don’t really wear accessories other than the inner shirt because the jersey’s too big for me,” Gollena shared.
But there was a reason why Gollena sported an accessory that’s typically worn by his teammate, who unfortunately will be out of commission for the foreseeable future due to a fractured ankle.
He said that the arm sleeve was for Earl Abadam, who got injured in their game against the UST Growling Tigers on October 16 at the MOA Arena. Gollena was also seen wearing the arm sleeve in their match against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on October 19 at UST.
Read similar: Abadam out indefinitely, DLSU hopeful for return this season
“It’s for Earl, it’s for brotherhood. It’s for family,” he said. “Me and Earl, we go way back. I wore the sleeve on my right [arm] because Earl wears his sleeve to the left.”
He added:
“It’s just me showing our love for each other, like how we are brothers. He’s a brother to me. He’s a very special person to me. He’s been there since the start, and we started in the same year in La Salle.”
Gollena also shared that Abadam is coping well and plans to return to the court better and stronger, which is all a part of God’s plan.
“He’s recovering, he’s coping up. As you can see, he’s smiling, enjoying every moment that’s put into him. But he knows that everything is going according to God’s plan. We’re just here for him, and he’s going to go back really, really strong.”
The DLSU Green Archers still lead the standings, but they’re not relaxing any time soon. As the elimination round approaches its conclusion, Gollena emphasized that there are more important matters to prioritize.
“For me, personally, the standings don’t matter because we know we got targets on our backs, and every team will always play their best against us, so we’re just anticipating the next few days to prepare,” said Gollena.
The Archers will face the Tamaraws on November 6 at the MOA Arena.