New UAAP award ensures only locals win MVP honors

The UAAP has introduced a separate award for foreign student-athletes who top the statistical race, ensuring only local players can win the Most Valuable Player honors starting Season 87.

This means that if a foreign athlete leads a statistical race in sports like basketball or volleyball, he or she receives Best Foreign Student-Athlete award while the top performing local athlete gets the MVP trophy.

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SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournament first round

Alternatively, if a homegrown athlete wins MVP, there won’t be a Best Foreign Student-Athlete award for that season.

This rule applies to all sports that use statistical points to determine individual performance rankings.

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This decision was approved last season in a move to “properly recognize both our local and international student-athletes while maintaining the spirit of the league’s competition,” UAAP Executive Director Rebo Saguisag said Thursday.

READ: Kevin Quiambao wins second straight UAAP MVP

In men’s basketball, a foreign student athlete won the MVP award for six straight seasons, starting with Ben Mbala in 2016 and ending  with Malick Diouf in 2022.

While the rule was only announced during the press conference for the upcoming UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournaments, Saguisag said that it is being implemented this season, which included the first-semester events.

Foreign athletes, though, remain eligible for other individual awards during the season. Meanwhile, international athletes who studied in a Philippine high school still qualify for Rookie of the Year honors.

“By implementing the Best Foreign Student-Athlete award, we ensure that if an FSA leads the statistical points race, they are duly recognized, while still allowing a local student-athlete to be awarded MVP,” Saguisag said.