Filipino Mobile Legends, Identity V gamers reach Asiad quarterfinals
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s national esports team, Sibol, punched tickets to two knockout rounds after advancing to the quarterfinals of both Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) and Identity V in the 20th Asian Games.
The Sibol MLBB squad completed a perfect run through Group C after sweeping Jordan and Kazakhstan, while its Identity V counterpart kept its campaign alive with a crucial win over Indonesia at the Aichi Sky Expo Tuesday.
In MLBB, the Philippines capped group play with a 2-0 victory over Kazakhstan to finish atop its pool without dropping a series.
After taking Game 1 in 14 minutes, the Filipinos needed just 11 minutes to close out the second, 20-4, behind a 13,000-gold advantage.
Karl Nepomuceno provided the highlight on Paquito, the hero inspired by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, scoring a Savage inside the Kazakhstan base as the Philippines pushed for the finish.
Nepomuceno finished Game 2 with 12 kills and five assists against just one death.
“Masaya po, pero ‘di pa rin kami magpapakampante kasi ’yung next namin na makakalaban is Indonesia, kaya need talaga namin mas galingan pa,” said Nepomuceno.
The Philippines will face regional rival Indonesia in the MLBB quarterfinals Wednesday, September 30, with a spot in the medal rounds at stake.
The Sibol Identity V squad, meanwhile, took a more difficult route to the knockout stage.
After opening Pool A with losses to Thailand and Chinese Taipei, the Filipinos bounced back against Indonesia, recovering from a 3-5 defeat in Game 1 to take the next two, 5-3 and 7-2.
The victory lifted the Philippines to third in its pool and secured the final quarterfinal berth.
The Sibol Identity V squad will face Pool B top seed Malaysia in the quarterfinals.
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