CEBU, Philippines — Jaymar Gimpayan of the MJAS Zenith-Talisay City Aquastars etched his name in stone after being hailed as the first ever Most Valuable Player of the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Vismin Super Cup-Visayas leg on Friday night at the Alcantara Civic Center in Alcantara, Cebu.
“Hindi ko ini-expect ito dahil talagang hard work lang talaga ginawa ko sa bawat laro,” said the Oleras, Northern Samar native Gimpayan. “Dine-dedicate ko ito sa kuya ko na talagang nagtulak sa akin na maglaro ng basketball at makipagsapalaran sa Maynila. Nagpapasalamat din ako sa mga teammates ko dahil hindi nila ako iniwan dito sa bubble. Talagang pamilya na turing nila sa akin. Kasama ko sila sa hirap at saya dito.”
Gimpayan was a key figure in MJAS-Talisay’s 10-game sweep of the double round robin elimination where he averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-2 small forward was joined in the All-Visayas team by his teammates Paulo Hubalde (point guard) and Jhaymo Eguilos (center), forward Joseph Marquez of the Tubigon-Bohol Mariners, and KCS-Mandaue’s Gryann Mendoza.
Marquez was the league’s leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, Hubalde emerged as the top assist man at 7.2 assists while also norming 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, while Eguilos averaged 8.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 assists. Mendoza, Mandaue’s top gunner, charted all-around numbers of 11.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. — EBV with Vismin Super Cup Media Bureau