June Mar Fajardo postponed his planned retirement from Gilas Pilipinas as head coach Tim Cone faces manpower issues ahead of the August FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Gilas will be without Mike Phillips and Quentin Millora-Brown, while Kai Sotto’s availability remains uncertain, leaving AJ Edu as the team’s only available natural center aside from Fajardo.
Cone said Fajardo, 36, was persuaded to return to help the team against Jordan and Iran.
Fajardo has been part of the national team since 2013 and had been considering retirement as younger big men emerged.
Cone admitted that Gilas has struggled to field its best players but said the team needs to maximize its available roster.
Source: PhilNews24 | August 17, 2026
JUNE MAR FAJARDO PUTS GILAS RETIREMENT ON HOLD AMID MANPOWER CONCERNS
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