NCAA standouts inducted into ‘Smart Elite’

In a bid to encourage the Filipino youth to cultivate a passion for sports, undisputed mobile leader Smart Communications named 10 outstanding basketball players of the National Collegiate Athletics Association into its roster of sports ambassadors known as the “Smart Elite.”

Inducted into the prestigious group was NCAA Season 88 Finals MVP Baser Amer of San Beda College, who is determined to help the Red Lions get its sixth straight basketball championship this year, the league’s 91st season.

Also named into the Smart Elite were season 90 MVP Earl Scottie Thompson of University of Perpetual Help and Jiovani Jalalon of Arellano University. Amer, Thompson and Jalalon were part of the Sinag Pilipinas team that won the gold medal for men’s basketball at the recent Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

Completing the group are Rey Nambatac of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jonathan Grey of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Francis Munsayac of Emilio Aguinaldo College, Tey Teodoro of Jose Rizal University, Joseph Gabayni of Lyceum of the Philippines University, Andretti Stevens of Mapua Institute of Technology and Bradwyn Guinto of San Sebastian College.

“We encourage young Filipinos to take inspiration from these athletes who have displayed outstanding basketball skills and fierce passion for the sport”, said Smart EVP and consumer business head Ariel P. Fermin.

“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”, he added.

NCAA fans can catch games wherever they are by using their mobile devices to view the official livestream at the ABS-CBN Sports site (sports.abs-cbn.com). Smart, along with PLDT Home, partnered with ABS-CBN for online livestreaming of NCAA events to enable more Filipinos to live the “Smart Life” by using digital innovations to enjoy their passions more.

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, Sinag Pilipinas and the Azkals, as well as the activities of various sports organizations. Its chairman Manny V. Pangilinan is known as one of the country’s foremost sports patrons. ADVT