Manila, Philippines – Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO) held the first-ever esports gala at the Hilton Manila Hotel in Pasay on July 14, 2022 in honor of the Sibol athletes who competed in the 31st SEA Games.
Overall, Sibol placed third in the esports division of the SEA Games, bringing home one gold and two silver medals, after Vietnam and Indonesia. . The 64-strong Sibol delegates participated in ten events for titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, FIFA Online 4, Crossfire, Free Fire, League of Legends (Wild Rift, PC), and PlayersUnknown Battlegrounds (PUBG).
Sibol’s’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Team dominated and won a gold medal in a 3-1 match against Indonesia. The team was composed of Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna, Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario, Kyle Dominic “Dominic” Soto, Salic Alauya “Hadji” Imam, Lee Howard “Owl” Gonzales, Dexstar Louise “DEX STAR” Cruz Alaba and Russel Aaron “Eyon” Usi.
The all-women team, Sibol Wildrift Women, also bagged gold for the League of Legends: Wild Rift event after crushing Singapore with a 3-0 record. The team members were Charize “Yugen” Doble, Gianna “Jeeya” Llanes, Christine “Ray Ray” Natividad, Rose Ann “Hell Girl” Robles and Angel Danica “Angelailaila” Lozada.
Sibol’s’s League of Legends (PC) and Crossfire teams won silver medals for the Philippines.
“Our victories during the 31st SEA Games definitely deserve a celebration as big as this. It’s been a journey and our athletes worked very hard. We want to show them how much we appreciate them and of course, we want them to have a little bit of fun. That’s what tonight is about,” says newly-appointed Executive Director Marlon Marcelo.
PeSO is the country’s national governing body for esports. It has been a member of the International Esports Federation (IESF) since 2012. Recently, PeSO was granted regular membership in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). It was previously an associate member since 2020.
Continuing the SIBOL Lakad Matatag Legacy
Backed by PeSO, the bemedaled Sibol team will be representing the Philippines in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou which is postponed until further notice, and the 14th IESF Esports World Championship in Bali, slated by end of the year.
We’ve seen their gameplay, their strengths, their weaknesses during the SEA Games. Immediately after this, it’s back to work for us. We’ll start laying out the game plan for upcoming tournaments soon,” says Marcelo.
The athletes are set to resume their training at the Bren Esports Facility in Makati, which is funded by Smart.
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