One of the most ‘incongruous and off the wall’ decision to award Francis Nii Lamptey the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the just ended season-2 of Community Dunks 2010, is what I’m still yet to come to terms with.
And before I proceed with my argument, let me put it on record that I’ve nothing against the 18-year-old player of Kaneshie. He’s just a young kid who deserves to be encouraged to take his mushrooming talent to the highest apogee.
But truth be told and it must be extremely plain as much as possible without fear or favour. Like my big brother and friend, Dan Kweku Yeboah of an Accra based radio station, Peace FM will say, there are no objective or subjective truth. The truth is always one and will always stand.
Let me admit that I’m also still in the learning process as I grapple with the rules and what goes into the game. What it means is that my argument and what I think can also be under huge scrutiny and subjection. In the end, it’s all about ‘agreeing to disagree’ as we make the game thick .
So let get off to a hook. First of all I may be not technically gifted to know what really went into the decision to give the top individual accolade to the former Student of St Peters Senior High but I will put my head on the ‘chopping’ board and say that for the first time in my ‘not too long’ stint with the game in Ghana, I sincerely believe the technical committee got it wrong. May be critics could say I probably needs to have my head re-examined for questioning the ‘competence’ of the technical committee because they know best.
For starters I don’t think anyone who watched the games on weekly basis will question the talent of the young basketball player who doubles as Captain of Kaneshie. He showed he has a lot of energy and promise and if nurtured well could blossom into a super star in the foreseeable future. That is obviously is not in doubt.
However, for the benefit of retrospection, Francis Nii Lamptey started the competition on a slow pace where at a point his presence wasn’t even felt especially at the group phase. He only came into the limelight at the semi-final and final stage where he put up an inspiring performance to guide Kaneshie to lift the trophy for the first time.
At the same time that young Lamptey was struggling to fine his form, one power forward for debutant Teshie-Nungua, Josiah Awudu Rashid, was the toast of fans and coaches alike with a performance that could only be compared to the dazzling form of last year’s MVP Raymond Maha of Cantonments.
Awudu was the pivot around which the new comers evolved and he was phenomenal throughout the campaign and despite their inability to make the final grade, he was a better player in the one-month long tournament for my money.
True, when the two of them met, Lamptey triumphed by posting a 54-34 victory over Josiah Awudu’s Teshie-Nungua. Fans who were at the ultra modern indoor basketball facility of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint s. Awudu was in fine shape. He was better on one-on-one, displaying sheer brilliance and team spirit and chemistry than his counterpart.
I know some people might think I’ve an opinionated mindset and probably over blowing the performance of the Teshie-Nungua’s power forward. Well, they’re entitled to their opinion, after all that’s the beauty of democracy.
So I’m still tempted to ask these basic and few question to the technical committee and probably hope that I (we) get some answers as to what went into the decision to hand Raymond Maha’s baton to Francis Nii Lamptey.
Was he given the award because his side won the cup? Or because he played in the grand-finale?
The MVP per my ‘narrow’ understanding is an accolade given to an individual who has put up a consistent performance in a specific championship. One of the most ‘absurd’ explanation I’ve heard from a well renowned coach (name withheld), is that one can only be considered for the MVP award when his team get into the finals.
It like saying, ok, you were better than all the players throughout the championship but because you didn’t win the cup, you can’t be the MVP…… Someone should help me out because it doesn’t sink in my brains.
I have absolute faith in the technical committee headed by veteran Mathias Ocloo and I’ve never questioned his competence and his ability to deliver a fair judgment on such matters.
But the question still stands ”Did Nii Lamptey deserve the MVP Award?
If you disagree with my points, please feel free and post a comment. The debate begins..
