For 80 years, the UAAP has stood firm with regards to crowning of the Most Valuable Player of the season is.
If you’re a student of your school and an athlete representing your institution, you are eligible to not just play in the UAAP but also be part of the post-season individual awards race.
However, with Cameroonian student-athlete Ben Mbala winning his second straight Most Valuable Player crown in Season 80, there were some fans, pundits, and even fellow athletes alike that called for a separate award for Filipinos and ‘imports’.
“Another award like a best import/foreign student-athlete award would be great, just like how it is done in the PBA,” former Ateneo Blue Eagle Nico Salva tweeted last November 14.
“Ben deserves that MVP but there should be an MVP for local players and Imports in the NCAA & UAAP… Really unfair for the locals,” tweeted Kobe Paras, who will play for Cal State-Northridge, last November 28.
Last November 18, the 22-year-old told Tiebreaker Times that he has seen the reactions on social media with regards to his impending second MVP crown. But as a foreigner living in the Philippines, he just respects it, knowing that he had done nothing wrong.
“That’s their opinion. I can’t stop them from thinking the way they’re thinking. That’s just life — everyone thinks differently. I just have to accept it and keep going,” said Mbala, who averaged 26.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 blocks in the elimination round.
Wednesday night, after receiving his trophy, Mbala’s tone changed.
The 6-foot-7 big man believes that the work he had put in was at least equal to the work put in by former back-to-back MVPs like Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks Jr.
“It’s pretty funny because since I’ve been here I’ve seen a local guy win MVP even with, like they call us, imports,” shared the second-year Green Archer. “There’s Ravena who won back-to-back, Bobby who had back-to-back as well
“So if you’re good, you’ll get it. Right now, I just feel like they’re looking for excuses.”
Mbala then cited that CJ Perez won the NCAA Season 93 Seniors Basketball MVP crown over a plethora of foreign student-athletes.
Speaking for himself and future foreign student-athletes, Mbala stressed that the criteria to winning MVP is as clear as day. Moreover, you have to put in the work to be the league’s top dog.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Filipino or foreign student-athlete. If you work for the MVP, then you will be MVP,” added Mbala. “If not, don’t look for excuses like divide it to local and foreign. It’s pretty unfair.
“That’s now how it is supposed to be.”
