The SEA Games were just the start.
Can the Philippine national esports team replicate its Southeast Asian (SEA) Games success in the bigger stage?
SIBOL delivered its best performance yet in the SEA Games, hauling medals in all titles the squad participated in Cambodia.
SIBOL extended its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) men's division reign to a three-peat, while picking up a fresh gold medal in League of Legends: Wild Rift.
The team also secured a silver from the MLBB women's division, along with bronze medals in Crossfire, Valorant, and PUBG Mobile individual tournament.
"I have always been a big fan of our esports athletes," said Mediaquest president and CEO Jane Basas. "It truly warms my heart to see how well they have been doing and how they just keep getting better. We will continue to give them our unwavering support."
SIBOL will now look ahead to the 15th International Esports Federation (IESF) World Esports Championships Asia+Oceania Qualifiers this July and the tournament proper in August.
Last year, Philippine representatives Blacklist International settled for silver against EVOS Legends of Indonesia.
The World Esports Championships in Romania will also host tournaments for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Dota 2, Tekken 7, eFootball, and PUBG Mobile.
SIBOL will also aim to compete in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this September.
Esports will be a full medal event in this edition of the Asian Games featuring seven titles: FIFA Online 4, PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, and Street Fighter V.
For Philippine Esports Organization (PESO) executive director Marlon Marcelo, the key to success is all in the development.
"We started with our national grassroots program recently. And from what we saw in the SEA Games, it has already made a big difference," said Marcelo. "Now we’re looking to continue to build on our success and keep giving back to the Philippine esports community."
PESO is the official national sports association and regulatory body for esports in the Philippines. It is an associate member of the Philippine Olympic Committee and is recognized by the Asian Esports Federation and International Esports Federation. Among PESO’s member organizations are TV5 and Cignal, which are subsidiaries of Mediaquest Holdings, Inc.
(GM)