UST FOREIGN student-athlete Mo Tounkara has denied a report claiming he is leaving the Growling Tigers due to alleged financial disputes, dismissing the rumors as “false allegations.”
On Monday, a column by Homer Sayson published on SPIN.ph suggested Tounkara was unlikely to return to the Tigers in Season 88 after purportedly upsetting UST management by requesting additional financial support and reaching out to a rival team.
“Everything they said was not true at all, that’s all I can say about it,” Tounkara told the Varsitarian, adding that he planned to provide further clarification after the Christmas break.
The 6-foot-8 Malian center said he would also be consulting the Tigers’ coaching staff in the next few days, all of whom, Tounkara said, have not brought up the issue.
“I did not even talk to any one of my coaches. We have not talked about anything yet. It just surprised me, those kinds of stuff about something in my life. I don’t even know,” he said.
“I think I have to clarify these with my coaches, the staff, and management. We’ll see. We’ll see in the next days,” he added.
As of writing, the Growling Tigers’ coaching staff has not commented on the situation.
Tounkara also called for an end to the social media speculation surrounding his career, describing the rumors as “disrespectful to his personality.”
“They cannot do these kinds of things, like posting this on social media. That is not very good; it’s disrespectful to my personality, to my reputation, and to my career, which is something I really care about,” he added.
Tounkara joined the Tigers in 2022 at just 19 years old. When former foreign reinforcement Adama Faye left UST in 2023, the team chose Tounkara over 6-foot-7 Nigerian Peter Osang for the Season 87 roster.
Tounkara averaged 13.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in Season 87, where he became one of the best foreign players.
With Tounkara, the Tigers reached their first Final Four appearance this season after five years of losing seasons.