Kevin Quiambao expressed his gratitude to his Gilas Pilipinas veterans Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo for their invaluable service, with their national team careers concluding soon.
If it were up to him, Kevin Quiambao would make Gilas Pilipinas veterans Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo stay with the team a little longer.
This as the two Gilas mainstays announced the end of their national team careers will be coming soon, with Aguilar seeing the conclusion after the ongoing first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
“Si Kuya Japs nga lagi ko sinasabi kaya pa mga dalawang World Cup. Then si Kuya June Mar kaya pa mga tatlo yan,” Quiambao told One Sports.
[RELATED STORY: Japeth Aguilar says FIBA WC Qualifiers Window 1 could be his last for Gilas]
Together, Aguilar and Fajardo played a key role in Gilas in three FIBA World Cup cycles, starting in 2014 in Spain.
The twin towers also helped the hastily-assembled national team claim the Asian Games gold medal two years ago in Hangzhou, China.
Quiambao could only express his gratitude for his kuyas exemplary service all these years.
“Yung presence nila, yung service nila sa Gilas, malaki natulong nila,” said KQ.
[ALSO READ: June Mar Fajardo opens up about looming Gilas retirement: ‘Dapat makinig din sa katawan ko’]
Now that the torch is gradually being passed to the young core led by Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Quiambao himself, the former La Salle star said that he is making the most of the journey with the two Gilas pillars.
“For me nire-relish ko lang yung time na nakakasama ko pa sila kasi in the future, knowing na malapit na nga sila mag retire,” he said.
“Kaming mga young guns dito, we need to perform and take it seriously every practice kasi nga knowing na yung araw ng mga veterans medyo malapit na sila mag retire.”
[ALSO READ: What if Dwight Ramos stayed at Ateneo? Gilas star reflects on his brief time as a Blue Eagle]
—
Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.