Guinto and Munsayac Smart Elite’s dynamic duo

MANILA, Philippines - NCAA stars Francis Munsayac of Emilio Aguinaldo College and Bradwyn Guinto of San Sebastian relish their stint with the Smart Elite with both players vowing to further improve on their respective games and be inspiration to other young players.

The 5-6 Munsayac and 6-6 Guinto are two of the 10 NCAA players who were recently named into the Smart Elite, a roster of sports ambassadors introduced by mobile leader Smart Communications to encourage the Filipino youth to nurture a passion for sports.

Munsayac said being named to the roster helped rebuild his confidence after a knee injury forced him to sit out the last season of the NCAA.

“The first time I tried to play again, I couldn’t shoot and I couldn’t find my rhythm. I thought that was it. But Smart’s vote of confidence pushed me to give it my best shot in the actual games,” said Munsayac, who shot 20 points in his first game this season.

Guinto, on the other hand, said he was surprised to be named into the Smart Elite, despite being included in last season’s Mythical Five and defensive team.

“I wasn’t expecting anything. I am very happy that all my hard work paid off,” said Guinto.

In a recent game against Jose Rizal University, Guinto finished with 17 points and pulled down 20 rebounds with two assists, two steals, and three blocks to boot.

“We chose Guinto, Munsayac and the other members of the Smart Elite based on the basketball skills they have displayed, their passion for the sport, and their potential to become good role models for the youth,” said Smart sports marketing senior manager Epok Quimpo.

The rest of the Smart Elite are Baser Amer of San Beda College, Earl Scottie Thompson of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, Jiovani Jalalon of Arellano University, Rey Nambatac of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jonathan Grey of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Tey Teodoro of JRU, Joseph Gabayni of Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Andretti Stevens of Mapua Institute of Technology.

Smart is a staunch supporter of sports development in the Philippines. It is a major sponsor in this year’s NCAA, and has backed national teams like Gilas Pilipinas and the Azkals, as well as the activities of various sports organizations.

“We support the Smart Elite as they continue to live more by pursuing their passion, in the same way that we are enabling millions of Filipinos to fully enjoy their passions – be it music, films, urban living, or sports – through meaningful innovations. This is what the Smart Life is all about,” said PLDT and Smart executive vice president and consumer business head Ariel Fermin.

Guinto said his Smart-powered mobile phone has helped his game several times, enabling him to watch the previous games of his competitors and study their moves.

“I use my phone to watch my own games to check what I did wrong and how else I can improve,” Munsayac said.

NCAA fans can also live the Smart Life and get sports updates by following the @_smartsports account on Instagram – which they can access without data charges when they are subscribed to any popular prepaid promo or to Smart’s Surf Plus Plans.