Sibol outlasts the Indonesian juggernauts to fulfill the historic win
The Philippines has won the gold medal for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang discipline in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games after enduring a full best-of-five grand final series against Indonesia yesterday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.
The Philippines was once the supplier of the best ML:BB players in the region until the Indonesians came up with a better understanding of the meta and win the two of the game’s biggest tournaments earlier this year. Five out of seven players that made up their national team just hoisted the championship cup for the first-ever M1 World Championship, an international Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament participated by 14 countries around the world. These are Gustian “Rekt”, Muhammad “Wann” Ridwan, Eko “Oura” Julianto, and Yurino “Donkey” Putra from EVOS Legends. The other two, on the other hand, Teguh Imam “Pscyhoo” Firdaus and Adriand “Drian” Larsen Wong were a part of ONIC Esports, the defending champions of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup 2019.
Although Angelo Kyle “Pheww” Arcangel, Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, Kenneth Jiane “Kenji” Villa, Carlito “Ribo” Ribo Jr., Jason Rafael “Jay” Torculas, Jeniel “Haze” Bata-Anon, Allan Sancio “Lusty” Castromayor have already got their names etched in the Philippines’ esports history as champions, with special mentions for Ribo and Haze, who both have the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup 2018 championship titles on their resumé, this doesn’t help sway the community’s perception of them as underdogs when matched up against the powerhouse that is Indonesia.
Despite the tall order, Sibol only needed a little over 13 minutes to convince the entire ML:BB fanbase that Indonesia is not as invulnerable as they seem. The host country drew first blood thanks to an impressive Chou performance by Kenji, but the visitors were quick to retaliate with two consecutive victories after their Bruno picks failed to materialize. Refusing to settle for a silver medal, Haze’s Lolita and KarlTzy’s Esmeralda led the charge in the fourth game to reset the series to a do-or-die best-of-one.
The crowd was at its wildest and loudest come the fifth and final game. “Team Philippines” chants filled up the 5,500-seater arena every time the hometown heroes pick up a kill or take down a turret. When they win a team fight or secure the Lord, the cheer changes to “tapusin” (finish it). Unfazed about the surprise Zhask pick by their opponents, Sibol had no problem dictating the phase of the game. KarlTzy put up an impromptu Lunox clinic, while Haze continued to land impactful Noumenon Blasts. After 15 minutes, over 10,000 gold lead, and a 15-kill advantage, the Philippines were able to defeat Indonesia to claim the first-ever 2019 SEA Games gold medal for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang discipline.
Indonesia will be going home with a silver medal, while Malaysia takes the bronze medal.
The 2019 SEA Games continues today with gold medal matches for the Hearthstone, Arena of Valor, and Dota 2 disciplines. Earlier today, Malaysia’s Weng Kean “wkyew90” Yew bagged the gold medal for the Hearthstone, after a commanding 3-1 victory against Thailand’s Werit “Disdai” Popan.
Live broadcast of the 2019 SEA Games’ esports events is available on GG Network – TV5’s official Facebook page and the official Twitch channel of Razer, the official esports partner of the biennial sporting event.
