CANDON CITY — Bella Belen belongs, even if she wasn’t fully convinced at first.
The Capital1 super rookie went from doubting her place in the PVL All-Star Game to standing tallest among the league’s finest players, taking MVP honors in the first showcase of its kind in the pioneering pro league.
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“As a rookie, hindi ko pa nilalagay ang sarili ko po sa ganung bagay kasi kumbaga, marami pa po akong dapat matutunan from them,” Belen said.
Sharing the court with the very players she once looked up to, Belen's All-Star debut was a dream come true.
Teaming up with veterans like Alyssa Valdez and Myla Pablo, Belen soaked up the experience and stood on the shoulders of giants who have taken the league and the sport to unprecedented heights.
“Kasi kahit na medyo nakakasabay naman sa skills, iba pa rin po talaga ‘yung binibigay nila pagdating sa loob ng game. Kumbaga, yung pagiging veterans nila, nakikita talaga na, lalo na po ako, marami ako natutunan talaga sa game,” she said.
And doing it all in front of an electric Candon crowd was the cherry on top.
“Sa part namin, mas nakakatuwa na makita po yung fans na nage-enjoy. We’re very happy and lalo na po ako kasi first time ko po maging ka-teammates sina Ate Myla and si Ate Aly,” she added.
She even took on an unorthodox role of being a linesman late in the game, and she couldn't have been more thrilled to get that ticked off her bucket list.
"Sa technical timeout, sabi ko 'Kuya, ako naman'. Papagalitan daw siya. [Sabi ko], 'hindi ako bahala'. Ayun, happy lang po,'" Belen said.
"Dream come true. Thank you po sa All-Star. Kahit sa saglitang panahon. Dream come true. Pwede po next time, one game naman or first referee?"
For Belen, the All-Star stage was supposed to be a learning experience.
Instead, it became a confirmation of her arrival.
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