June Mar Fajardo formally retires from Gilas Pilipinas

After more than a decade of answering the call of duty, longtime national team big man June Mar Fajardo is officially closing the book on his colorful Gilas Pilipinas career.

The nine-time PBA MVP formally announced his retirement from international basketball on Sunday, calling time to a 13-year Gilas run that saw him represent the Philippines in three FIBA World Cup editions and countless battles on the Asian stage.

Fajardo officially hung up his Gilas uniform after the national team took on Iran in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Window 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the game marking the 6-foot-11 big man’s final appearance for the national team in FIBA competition.

Gilas Pilipinas won against Iran, 68-56.

The 36-year-old bruiser had initially planned to end his Gilas career after Window 3 last July, even delivering an emotional and lengthy speech to his teammates in the locker room. However, Fajardo answered one final call from head coach Tim Cone and team manager Alfrancis Chua, agreeing to suit up once more in Window 4 in case Kai Sotto was unavailable.

Fajardo admitted that his age and health are no longer suited for international play, saying he still wants to continue playing basketball but knows his body can no longer keep up with the demands of representing the country.

Fajardo has represented the Philippines since 2013, playing 70 games at the FIBA level while also suiting up in numerous tournaments across Southeast Asia and Asia and becoming one of the most prominent big men in the continent.

He also became the second Gilas big man to retire from international duty in nine months, following fellow veteran Japeth Aguilar, who bid farewell to the national team last December.

With Fajardo now stepping away, the torch will be passed to a new generation of Gilas stars led by Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, and Juan Gomez de Liaño.

—JKC, GMA News