Jayson Castro ends his playing days for Philippines
MANILA (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - A Philippine hero has called it a day. Jayson Castro, touted as the Best Point Guard in Asia since 2013, just announced his retirement from national team
MANILA (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - A Philippine hero has called it a day. Jayson Castro, touted as the Best Point Guard in Asia since 2013, just announced his retirement from national team duty a day after Gilas Pilipinas was eliminated from contention in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila.
Many Filipino fans knew this was a possibility, but Castro himself confirmed it in a caption to an Instagram photo he posted on Thursday, July 7.
“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.” - Castro
He averaged 13.5 points and 3.0 assists per game in the Manila OQT.
He first played for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, where the Filipinos finished second right behind Iran. He was named to the All-Tournament Team in both the 2013 and 2015 editions of the FIBA Asia Championship.
Without a doubt, many fans will mourn his absence from the team as they start their campaign to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. The qualification period begins in 2017.
FIBA