June Mar Fajardo is done. After 13 years of suiting up for the flag, the nine-time PBA MVP has formally retired from Gilas Pilipinas, bowing out the only way he knew how: with a win over Iran that capped a perfect sweep of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ fourth window.
A retirement 13 years in the making
Fajardo’s final game for the national team came at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, where Gilas beat Iran 68-56 to sweep the window and improve to 4-4 in Group E. The 6-foot-11 center saw limited minutes but made them count, finishing with six points and two rebounds and drawing MVP chants from the crowd while shooting free throws.
The 36-year-old had been weighing retirement since last July, when he told his teammates in the locker room after Window 3 that he planned to step away. He agreed to one final call from head coach Tim Cone and team manager Alfrancis Chua, coming back for Window 4 in case Kai Sotto was unavailable.
A career that defined an era
Fajardo first joined Gilas in 2013 as part of the squad that took silver at the FIBA Asia Championship in Manila and qualified for the World Cup in Spain. Over 13 years and 70 FIBA games, he represented the Philippines in three FIBA World Cup editions and became one of Asia’s most dominant big men.
His exit is a milestone for a national team that keeps turning over its veterans. He is the second Gilas big man to retire in nine months, after Japeth Aguilar stepped away last December.
The team sent him off with a sweep
Teammates made Fajardo’s farewell their mission. Kai Sotto dedicated the Iran win to his idol, finishing with 13 points and 16 rebounds, while Juan Gomez de Liaño added 16 points with seven coming in a decisive third-quarter stretch. “We all came here with the same goal, which is to be on the same page for June Mar,” Gomez de Liaño said.
“I’m so blessed,” Fajardo said after the game. “I got to play with the past, present and future of Gilas.”
Fajardo’s Gilas career at a glance
| Years with Gilas | 2013 to 2026 (13 years) |
| FIBA games | 70 |
| FIBA World Cup appearances | 3 |
| PBA MVP titles | 9 |
| Final game | 68-56 win vs Iran, Aug 30 2026 |
| Fellow veteran to retire | Japeth Aguilar (Dec 2025) |
What’s next for Gilas
With Fajardo and Aguilar gone, the torch passes to a younger core. The national team now leans on a Window 4 sweep built around Kai Sotto, plus Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos and Juan Gomez de Liaño, the group Fajardo himself pointed to as the program’s future.
Fajardo said his body could no longer keep up with the demands of international play, even as he still wants to keep playing at the club level. Catch up on Kai Sotto’s return to Gilas and the full Window 4 sweep recap for the complete picture.
