Fajardo out of Gilas first window lineup due to calf tear
At A Glance
- Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone has ruled out the participation of national team pillar and big man June Mar Fajardo for the upcoming February window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone has ruled out the participation of national team pillar and big man June Mar Fajardo for the upcoming February window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

The national team mentor confirmed in a text message to Manila Bulletin on Sunday, Feb. 18, that the 6-foot-10 big man was sidelined with a calf tear and would not be available for the games against Hong Kong on Feb. 22 and the home stand against Chinese Taipei on Feb. 25.
“June Mar has been ruled out of the first window with a calf tear,” said Cone.
Fajardo actually sustained the injury during Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals but managed to play through it for the next two games and helped San Miguel hoist its record-extending 29th championship.
Without Fajardo, Gilas frontlines got thinner with AJ Edu also out of commission for the first window as he is still recovering from a torn meniscus he sustained last December while playing for his mother team Toyama Grouses in the Japan B. League.
Unlike Edu, who will be with the team during the windows and still attending Gilas practices, it’s still unclear whether Fajardo will be joining the Nationals in the Hong Kong trip as he went home to Cebu for a quick break after the grueling Finals series.
Fajardo’s teammate CJ Perez, meanwhile, only needed a day's rest after SMB’s title run and immediately joined Gilas practice on Saturday, Feb. 17.
With Perez joining the camp, all of the other members of Cone’s lineup are well accounted for with other guys in Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome and Calvin Oftana already practicing since Thursday.
Joining them are Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao and Dwight Ramos. Japeth Aguilar, who could be temporarily taking the spot of Edu in the lineup, was also part of the camp.