Coach Yeb calls on Pinoy fans to stop hate on SANZ amidst MPL ID Finals MVP debate

Onic Esports head coach Denver "Yeb" Miranda is calling on his fellow Filipinos to put a stop to the hate that one of his players, Gilang "SANZ", has been receiving on the heels of their championship run in the MPL Indonesia Season 11 over the weekend.

"Ang MVP ng Finals [ay] si SANZ [pero] ang hindi ko gusto dito... Masaya ako na sinusuportahan ng mga Pilipino si Kairi, okay ‘yun. Pero hanggang doon na lang sana—na sana si Kairi [‘yung Finals MVP]," Yeb told GMA Integrated News in an interview.

"‘Wag na i-discredit si SANZ, ‘wag na i-bash si SANZ kasi hindi naman niya alam ‘yun e, na siya ‘yung mananalo e. Hindi niya rin naman ginusto ‘yun e, si MPL ‘yung nagbigay no’n."

("The MVP of the Finals is SANZ, but what I don't like here... I'm glad that Filipinos are supporting Kairi, that's okay. But I hope it only goes that far, that they hope it was Kairi... Don't discredit SANZ, don't bash SANZ, because he didn't know he was going to win it. He didn't want it, it was MPL that awarded it.")

It was a flawless playoffs stint for Onic, sweeping Evos Legends in the upper bracket semifinals before pulling off a similar 3-0 feat against streaking Alter Ego to book a finals ticket against Evos anew.

In the best-of-seven championship series, Onic was simply invincible after clinching the title in four dominant games to take home their second straight MPL title.

And many expected that Filipino jungler Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdelsol would eventually cop the Finals MVP plum. Kairi only had one death in the entirety of the finals series and copped the MVP award in games one and two using his Fanny and Lancelot picks.

But it was midlaner SANZ who was eventually named Finals MVP.

Yeb said he understands, but stressed that people should not disrespect what SANZ had done for the squad.

The coach added that it frustrates him to see his fellow countrymen hate on his own player, as he feels everyone from the team was deserving of the award.

"So nakakahiya [and] nasasaktan din ako para kay SANZ na ginaganon siya ng kapwa Pilipino ko. Lahat sila pwedeng maging MVP no’n."

("It's embarrassing and it hurts me on SANZ's behalf to see him being treated that way by my fellow Filipinos. All of them could be MVP then.")

—JMB, GMA Integrated News