BIG man Poy Erram decided to officially retire from playing for Gilas Pilipinas after an assortment of knee injuries.
Erram made the announcement in a lengthy post on social media where he thanked the people responsible for making his dream of playing for the national team a reality.
See Poy Erram out of Gilas Pilipinas squad for Fiba World Cup
"As I close this chapter in my life, gusto ko pong magpasalamat sa lahat ng taong nagtiwala at tumulong sa akin," he said
"Thank you for giving me a chance to fight for my country. Thank you for letting my dreams become a reality."
Erram later confirmed his decision to Spin.ph.
"Yes I'm retiring na with the national team," said the TNT center, who was part of the 21-man pool named by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the Gilas coaching staff for the Fiba Basketball World Cup.
See Gallant dive in PH loss to Korea costs Poy Erram two cracked teeth
The 6-foot-8 center first played for Gilas during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia in a stint that will be best remembered for the two cracked teeth he suffered while diving for a looseball in the Philippines' quarterfinal game against South Korea.
He was a regular on the national team since then. He served as the most senior player of a young Gilas unit that competed in the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup last year in Jakarta.
As part of the Fiba World Cup training pool, Erram went with the team in its European training camp last June where Gilas battled teams from Estonia, Finland, and Lithuania.
Upon arriving in the country, Erram still attended the national team's practices, but no longer joined Gilas in scrimmages as he was diagnosed with a swollen knee.
His health condition led the coaching staff to leave him behind as it competed in a mini-pocket tournament against Iran and Senegal in Guandong, China.
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