SIBOL MLBB Men’s Kiel “Oheb” Soriano made his SEA Games debut one to remember — and he did it with grit, tenacity and the roar of Filipino fans behind him in Thailand.
Kiel “Oheb” Soriano made his SEA Games debut one to remember — and he did it with heart, composure, and the roar of Filipino fans behind him.
The 21-year-old gold laner emerged as a driving force for SIBOL MLBB Men, helping fuel a dramatic Game 3 comeback and paved the way for a 4-0 sweep of Malaysia to secure the Philippines’ fourth straight SEA Games gold on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Oheb led the charge with nine kills and nine assists on his signature Granger as SIBOL drew first blood and eventually took a nearly 2-0 lead.
Malaysia, however, refused to fold.
A lineup adjustment saw Danish sub in and spark a momentum shift, with his Suyou leading a 6-0 kill run alongside Ealtond’s Esmeralda and Qayyum’s Grock.
The Malaysians threatened to breach SIBOL’s base, pushing the Filipinos to the brink.
That was when Oheb — and the crowd — answered.
As chants of “sisig” echoed across the arena, SIBOL steadied themselves as Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s clutch Lord steal at the 16th minute ignited the comeback.
Oheb was there to capitalize, helping close out the game by the 20th minute and swinging the series firmly in the Philippines’ favor.
[ALSO READ: Ruthless SIBOL Men complete SEA Games four-peat in MLBB after sweeping Malaysia]
“Nu’ng Game 3, pinusuan lang namin,” Oheb said after the match.
“Hindi na kami masyadong nag-uusap sa comms. Sinabi lang namin na pusuan na lang — kayang-kaya pa,” he added
Oheb also expressed his gratitude to Filipino fans who traveled to Thailand and made their presence felt throughout the gold medal match
.
“Hindi ko pa alam kung paano siya i-express, pero sobrang saya at tuwang-tuwa kami sa mga Pinoy na pumunta dito sa Thailand para suportahan kami,” Oheb said.
“Malaking tulong sila kung bakit sobrang ganado kami maglaro at ibigay ang best namin sa SEA Games.”
He echoed the sentiment during the postgame press conference.
“Nakakatulong siya sa momentum kasi sobrang ramdam namin ‘yung support nila. Kahit lugi kami, nabu-boost ‘yung morale namin. Kung sila hindi sumusuko, kami pa kaya?”
SIBOL did not — proving once again they remain a class above the rest of Southeast Asia.
(With reports from Doreen Suaybaguio/Cignal)
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.