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The MPL PH S17 imports are going to be under a lot of scrutiny this season so it’s up to them to prove themselves to the Filipino crowd.
Undoubtedly the biggest shake up for MPL PH S17 is the fact we’re getting Indonesian imports and everyone has opinions, especially people like coach BON CHAN. The Twisted Minds head coach has a hard outlook on the incoming imports and it’s not hard to see why.
For starters, the two imports are replacing two massive names in the MPL PH. Clayton “Savero” Kuswanto is replacing Grant “Kelra” Pillas in ONIC Philippines and Sultan “AeronnShikii” Muhammad is replacing Kiel “Oheb” Soriano in Team Liquid. Many consider Kelra and Oheb to be the top two Gold Laners in the world, so the imports already have massive shoes to fill.
For coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza, seeing these two legends get replaced by imports feels like a waste. Nevermind if their replacements can fill the void they left behind in terms of skill. What strikes at him more is that we had to rely on imports in the first place.
“Para sa akin, feeling ko na nasasayang tayo,” said coach BON CHAN quite plainly. “Ano ba talaga yung magiging advantage kung mag-import tayo ng mga players? Wala talaga akong gaanong nakikita. And kung tatanungin natin ano yung makukuha na advantage [ng mga imports], madami.”
The Philippines is universally agreed to be the best MLBB region in the world and our players are constantly being taken by other regions. Some of these players come from amateur or development level teams. Yet these Filipino imports often improve the performance of the teams they play in. They benefit from getting a small sample of the Filipino playstyle.
Coach BON CHAN however can’t see the same happening in reverse. “Natututo [ng mga imports] ‘yung mga habits and work ethics ng mga Pinoy. And kung bumalik sila pwede nila gamitin ‘yun to their advantage. Tapos para sa mga Pinoy players, ‘yung slot na yon ay nakuha ng iba.”
Still, the Twisted Minds coach is not ruling out the possibility that this will be beneficial for the team. Player and team synergy is not an exact science. And while there will be difficulties integrating Aeronn and Savero at the start, they could be the key to unlocking their team’s full potential.
“Hindi naman ako totally against it,” said coach BON CHAN. “Malay mo na maipakita ng mga imports na talagang gaganda yung team mo kung nag-import ka. Hindi natin pwede sabihin ano mangyayari. Makikita lang natin sa start ng season.”
Banner photo courtesy of MOONTON Games.