Castro announces retirement from Gilas Pilipinas

After the Philippines bowed out of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Wednesday night, Jayson Castro said that he may have played his final game in Gilas Pilipinas uniform.

"Siguro this is my last na," he told reporters when he was asked whether the country could still see him playing for the national team in the future.

Fans, however, were still hopeful that Castro made the statement in the height of emotion and would come to rethink it later on.

The point guard squashed all the hopes with an Instagram post on Thursday, officially announcing his retirement from Gilas.

Castro announced his retirement via his Instagram account late Thursday evening.

 

The end of our bid for a spot at the Rio Olympics will also be the end of my stint as a member of Gilas Pilipinas. For the past few years, it has been my honor to represent all of you but now it's time to hand over the responsibility to the younger generation. Maraming salamat sa walang sawang pagsuporta niyo sa Gilas. Hindi ko makakalimutan lahat ng pinagsamahan natin. Ako si Jayson Castro William, taga Guagua, Pampanga, lumaban para sa bayan. #7 #PUSO

A photo posted by Jayson Castro (@jaywill_17) on

Jul 7, 2016 at 7:05am PDT

"The end of our bid for a spot at the Rio Olympics will be the end of my stint as a member of Gilas Pilipinas. For the past few years, it has been my honor to represent all of you but now it's time to hand over the responsibility to the younger generation," Castro said.

Castro was part of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and is also a member of the Tallk N' Text team.

"Maraming salamat sa walang sawang pagsuporta niyo sa Gilas. Hindi ko makakalimutan lahat ng pinagsamahan natin," he said to Gilas fans and teammates.

His parting statement shows his pride to be a Filipino cager who represented the country in international tournaments as well as the battle cry of Gilas fans.

"Ako si Jayson Castro William, taga Guagua, Pampanga, lumaban para sa bayan. #7 #PUSO."

"The end of our bid for a spot at the Rio Olympics will also be the end of my stint as a member of Gilas Pilipinas," he said.

"For the past few years, it has been my honor to represent all of you but now it's time to hand over the responsibility to the younger generation," he added.

Castro, 29, has been hailed as Asia's best point guard with two mythical five citations in the 2013 and 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

He will hang up his jersey with two FIBA Asia silver medals and a historic victory at the FIBA World Cup in 2014. — with Marisse Panaligan/BAP, GMA News