It’s been two years since Allwell Oraeme last donned the colors of Mapua University.
The two-time NCAA Seniors Basketball Most Valuable Player – who averaged 16.0 points on a 50.48 percent shooting clip, 20.42 rebounds, and 2.72 blocks in 36 games played – missed the NCAA Season 93 campaign of the Cardinals, and missed the Final Four after making it the last two years.
“I told him that I will be going back home [to Nigeria] but I didn’t tell him I won’t be coming back [to Mapua],” Oraeme told Tiebreaker Times back in April of 2017.
Head coach Atoy Co recalled the events that had transpired prior to that.
“January [of 2017], he begged off, nakikiusap kung pwede siya mag-rest to heal yung mga legs niya, yung injury. I said we’ll see. Kung talagang ‘di ka makaka-recover, I will let you rest,” Co recounted.
“Pero hindi pala yun ang katotohanan e.
“Nung kinukuha niya yung passport sa amin, kasi kailangan daw sa probinsya nila sa Nigeria kasi may binibili silang lupa doon, kailangan yung passport. Hindi naman sa tinatago namin yung passport pero for safe-keeping lang, kasi baka lang mawala. So in good faith, binigay namin. Yun pala, may inaayos na palang iba which is hindi namin alam. Tapos ‘di na siya nakapaglaro sa amin,” the PBA legend added.
“I consider that AWOL. Siyempre ang laking dagok nun sa amin.”
Instead of going back to his home country, Co shared that Oraeme is in Florida living with his girlfriend, who is an American citizen.
The now-22 year old Nigerian student-athlete wanted to make a return to Intramuros, alleged Co. However, there was a catch.
“Meron siyang mga pasabi, hindi sa akin, pero nakakarating sa akin na may kinakausap siyang tao dito na gusto niyang bumalik. Kung gusto niya bumalik, wala namang problema. Alam kong kailangan ko siya sa team. Gusto pa niya, nagde-demand pa siya na kung puwede bayaran namin yung airfare?,” Co bared.
“Sa akin walang problema yun, magkano lang ba airfare? Kahit personal kong pera kaya kong ibayad yun eh. Kaya lang, kung willing ka bumalik, bumili ka ng sarili mong airfare para pakita mo in good gesture na willing ka bumalik. Hindi yung ikaw na umalis, yung pabalik ako pa yung magbibigay ng pang airfare? Ano yung commitment?
“Ang gulo niyang kausap. Una sa lahat, hindi makatotohanan yung sinabi niya sa amin e. Sabi niya magpapahinga daw, yun pala, may balak siyang iba,” Co opined.
With this and the NCAA imposing a ban on foreign student-athletes come 2020, we might have seen the last of Oraeme in collegiate basketball.
