Sibol wraps up Asiad esports campaign with two bronzes
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s national esports team Sibol finished its campaign in the 20th Asian Games with two bronze medals after its final two squads bowed out of contention Wednesday at the Aichi Sky Expo.
Sibol ended the Games with podium finishes in Honor of Kings and Pokemon Unite, while its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Identity V squads both saw their campaigns end in the quarterfinals.
The MLBB squad, considered one of the Philippines’ strongest medal bets, suffered a 1-2 loss to regional rival Indonesia after entering the knockout stage unbeaten following sweeps of Jordan and Kazakhstan.
The Philippines forced a deciding Game 3 after dropping the opener, but Indonesia took control early to end Sibol’s gold-medal bid.
“Although we fell short in our most anticipated game, we still have a lot to be thankful for. Everything we’ve achieved up to this point is a success, proven not only by the medals we brought home, but also by establishing the Philippines as a hub for Esports talent in Asia,” said Sibol General Manager Jab Escutin.
Earlier in the day, the Sibol Identity V squad also bowed out in the quarterfinals following a 0-2 loss to Malaysia.
The two eliminations closed a campaign that saw Sibol compete across six esports events, with its Honor of Kings and Pokemon Unite squads delivering the country’s two medals.
Karl Gonzalvo also reached the quarterfinals of Puyo Puyo Champions, while the Naraka: Bladepoint squad bowed out in the group stage.
“I think the results we have right now do not reflect the hard work and passion our athletes have shown preparing and going into this competition,” said Escutin.
He added, “I’m sure this spark will only fuel our athletes’ desire to make sure that we bring home more medals in the future.”
Escutin also pointed to lessons beyond the results, particularly the Pokémon Unite squad’s opening match against Kazakhstan, where both teams were handed losses due to uniform violations.
The Filipinos recovered from the setback to top their group before eventually securing a bronze medal.
“Like any high-stakes competition, there are a lot of points where athletes and coaches get confused; thankfully, we were able to address that situation and make sure that the team was ready and motivated for their next matches. I think these are lessons we can take to all our next campaigns in the future,” said Escutin.
The Philippines currently sits at No. 17 in the medal tally with three gold medals, three silvers and 12 bronzes.
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