Mineski set to crown first interschool champions this month

MANILA, Philippines — Mineski Philippines, under its Youth Esports Porgram (YEP), is gearing up for the final rounds of the first major collegiate esports league in the country, the National Interschool Cyber League (NICL).

YEP, a joint initiative between Mineski Philippines and the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, launched NICL last 2020 with an aim to develop the country's next generation of esports talents. It served as a platform to funnel passionate student competitive gamers towards a national stage.

Featuring games Valorant, DOTA2 and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, students across the country battled it out through rounds of qualifiers, semifinals and the recently concluded regional — all leading up to the finals spread out this June.

Valorant will kick-start the final stages with the semifinal round today, immediately followed by the finals on June 13.

The DOTA 2 semifinals, meanwhile, will be on June 19, and the finals on June 20.

Lastly, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang closes the 2021 NICL with semifinals on June 26, and then the finals on June 27.

“We envision YEP to be an inclusive platform that nurtures esports players and fans in the collegiate level. NICL is one such program that creates a competitive atmosphere, yet gamers of all skill levels and backgrounds are welcome. Furthermore, the NICL will be supplemented by programs to educate our chapters and prepare them for careers in the esports industry and beyond,” stated Mark Navarro, Country Manager of Mineski Philippines.

The first-ever NICL champions for their respective games will each receive Php120,000. Additionally, the finals MVP of the winning team for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang finals will receive a Reno5 unit from OPPO Philippines, while the runner-up MVP will receive an A94 unit.

All final matches will be broadcasted via the Youth Esports Program's Facebook page.