CEBU CITY, Philippines—It may sound cliche to most, but Reinhard Jumamoy proved that hard work really pays off.
The 19-year-old Cebuano basketball star is among the top high school players in the country.
But he didn’t get there without hard work and a lot of faith.
“For me, I always pray to be successful. I always say to myself to work hard to become successful because I’m doing this also for my family. I want to give back to them for all the sacrifices they’ve done for me. I didn’t expect to be this successful, but I told myself just work hard to achieve my dreams,” said the 5-foot-11 Jumamoy, who won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in the UAAP Season 85 high school boys basketball tournament in February while playing for the National University (NU) Bullpups.
Jumamyoy also led the Bullpups to the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals division 1 title and bagged the Most Outstanding Player and Best Defensive Player awards in the tournament after beating the Filipino-American roster of the FilNation Select-USA, 75-64, in the finals at the Mall of Asia Arena in March.
Jumamoy, a product of University of San Carlos (USC) grassroots basketball program under the mentorship of Galimar Largo and Vernini Tangarorang, said the road to success wasn’t easy.
Reinhard Jumamoy (dark jersey) of the NU-Nazareth Bullpups comforts fellow Cebuano Jared Bahay (white jersey) after they defeated the latter and the SHS-AdC Magis Eagles-Cebu Landmasters in the semifinals of the NBTC National Finals Division 1. | Screen grab from the live stream.
“I didn’t expect all the success that I’m enjoying right now because I faced some of the biggest challenges in my life, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. That time was full of uncertainties. But, I told myself that I shouldn’t lose hope, I should remain positive. So, I persevered and practiced hard at home with coach Tommy Ugsimar from Daily Grind,” Jumamoy said.
Jumamoy started playing basketball when he was still 4 years old from missionaries who conducted clinics in Barangay Suba. He was then discovered by Largo and Tangarorang after attending summer clinics.
Today, Jumamoy is gearing up for his college debut with the NU Bulldogs in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
When asked how he balances his studies and basketball, Jumamoy simply replied ‘discipline’ and ‘time management.’
Reinhard Jumamoy. | UAAP
“I study first and practice after. It’s all about time management and discipline is really needed so I can balance my life as a student athlete. But, for me it’s really about discipline. That’s the most important trait for me, especially during times that I’m loaded with projects and tasks in school,” said Jumamoy.
As for younger players aspiring to be successful as he is, Jumamoy has this to say.
“Just continue working hard to achieve all your dreams. It’s because you’ll never notice working hard [when] your dreams are already within your reach. Also, don’t forget to pray. You must also have self discipline and good attitude. Everything will fall in the right places if you practice all these,” Jumamoy said.
/bmjo
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