AFTER all the furor caused by his Gilas Pilipinas jersey with the name 'William' at the back, Jayson Castro has cleared the air.
The Gilas Pilipinas point guard said he has been using the surname of his father, Ronald William, a US Navy man formerly based in Olongapo, since birth and recalled wearing similar basketball jerseys with the name at the back during his elementary days.
“Since birth pa naman, William na ginagamit ko eh,” he explained after Spin.ph ran story on Thursday about the intriguing name switch during Gilas' opening victory over Saudi Arabia on Thursday."'Yung elementary ako, lahat ng jerseys ko puro William lahat.”
The switch from William to Castro came during the time when his parents got divorced while he was entering the age of puberty. His mother told him to use her surname Castro the moment the divorce process got completed.
“So noong nag-divorce 'yung mom and dad ko noong Grade Seven or Grade Six ako, pinagamit na sa akin ng mama ko Castro na, kasi on process lahat ng papers,” said the Talk `N Text playmaker.
“Lahat ng jerseys ko noong high school ako, Castro na lahat,” he recalled. “Pero lahat ng documents - passport, sa papers, William lahat. Sa jersey lang Castro.”
This actually marks the second major international tournament the 5-foot-10 William used his real surname, having done the same when he suited up for the Philippine Youth team a few years back.
Strict rules on uniforms in international tournaments prompted the change.
“Di naman 'to yung first time. Noong nag-RP Youth ako William din ginamit ko kasi 'yun naman ang required nila pag international game," Castro said, "kung ano last name `yun talaga gagamitin.”
“Alam naman niya (father ko) na 'pag international (tournaments), William ginagamit ko.”
He added smiling, “So wala naman bago sa akin 'yun nga lang nanibago `yung mga fans, kasi di nila alam ang storya ng buhay ko. So ngayon alam na nila lahat.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
