Catantan eyes quick recovery

Samantha Catantan (right) hopes private companies will help fund her Olympic dreams. —AFP

Samantha Catantan had a successful surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in her left knee and she is hoping the damage would be minimal enough for her to pursue a slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I’m very optimistic that I’ll recover fast and I’ll come back stronger,’’ said Catantan after the one-hour surgery performed by Dr. Jose Raul Canlas at St. Luke’s Medical Center at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

“Dr. Canlas said that one thing going for me is that I’m still young, so there’s a big chance that my knee will heal fast,’’ said the 21-year-old Catantan, who was accompanied by her parents during the operation.

The injury will sideline the country’s brightest hope in women’s fencing for a minimum of six months, narrowing her pathway toward next year’s Olympics at the glitzy French capital.

“I was told that days after the surgery I need to do the rehabilitation process right away. I need to start because it’s important if I want a quick recovery from this injury,’’ said Catantan.