By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles’ superstar center Ange Kouame will finally receive a much-needed rest after reclaiming glory during the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
A day after outlasting the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in Game 3 of the championship finals, the hardworking center revealed that he is bound for surgery to repair the partially torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his knee.
Kouame has been dealing with a torn ACL since June, the reason why he wasn’t able to suit up for several Gilas Pilipinas stints in the FIBA Asia qualifiers.
Also, his partially torn ACL delayed his return to the Blue Eagles’ practice sessions months before the UAAP Season 85 kicked off.
“I’m getting surgery, the rest, I’ll leave it to God because only God has answers. Because I’m going home tonight, this thing’s gonna hurt,” said Kouame.
Kouame has been tapped as the men’s national basketball team’s naturalized center and will most probably don the Gilas Pilipinas jersey in the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup to be staged in the Philippines.
The six-foot-ten former UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) will team up with newly-naturalized super scorer Justin Brownlee who is the resident import of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA.
Kouame was coming off a monster finals series against the Fighting Maroons and helped them exact revenge for last season’s loss.
In the three-game series, Kouame averaged 17.7 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game that helped Ateneo raise their 12th UAAP championship trophy.
As of now, Kouame’s timeframe for his return is yet to be determined and will have to confirm his availability for the national team next year.
