Aurora Gaming PH finally broke through at M7 World Championship, sweeping Team Spirit to reach the knockout stage and allowing the squad to put last year's early exit behind them.
Redemption finally arrived for Aurora Gaming PH at the M7 World Championship as the Filipinos finally broke through to the knockout stage.
RORA secured its spot with a commanding 2–0 sweep of Team Spirit in the Swiss Stage on Thursday, January 15, at the XO Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The result finally allowed jungler Jan “Domengkite” Delmundo and the rest of the squad to put last year’s disappointment behind them.
“Masaya kasi siyempre, na-break din namin ‘yung curse nung M6,” Domengkite told One Sports. “From 1–3 kami noon tapos early exit. Ngayon, pasok kami sa knockout stage and paghahanda namin ng sobrang ayos.”
Aurora’s comeback in Game 1 set the tone for the series, with the team carrying the momentum into a controlled finish in Game 2 to seal the sweep.
Still, Domengkite believes the team has not hit its ceiling just yet.
“Actually, hindi pa talaga ito total,” he admitted. “May mga certain error pa kami, so hindi pa ito yung 100% na laro ng Aurora ng MPL PH. Pero marami pa kaming pwedeng i-improve and magiging mas better sa mga next laban.”
Despite the strong showing, Aurora entered M7 with plenty of skepticism from fans following inconsistent results in past international outings.
Domengkite, however, made it clear that outside noise never factored into their mindset.
“Pag nakikita ko ‘yun, ini-scroll down ko lang,” he said of critics and bashers. “Alam ko naman sa sarili ko na kaya talaga namin pumasok sa knockout kasi 100% confident ako sa kampi ko.”
[ALSO READ: Aurora Gaming’s Yue takes haters in stride amid M7 redemption bid]
With the pressure eased and a knockout berth secured, Aurora now turns its attention to sharpening its game for the knockout stage, which begins on Sunday, January 18.
(With reports from Gillian Trinidad/One Sports)
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.