NANNING, CHINA – SIBOL’s Honor of Kings team battled through fatigue, numerous challenges, and less-than-ideal playing conditions to secure the country’s first-ever medal in the title during the China-ASEAN Esports Competition last Thursday.
After falling short of securing a spot in the grand finals, the Honor of Kings national team gave their all in the bronze medal match, which was marred by technical difficulties. They managed to outlast Indonesia in a closely contested three-game series that went down to the wire.
SIBOL claimed the opening match against Indonesia but narrowly lost Game 2, setting up a decisive do-or-die Game 3. The Philippines initially held the upper hand in the final game, but Indonesia, focused on securing objectives, gradually closed the gap, leveling the once-lopsided match.
However, an issue with the accounts being used halted the intense match, leading to a nearly two-hour delay.
As the series extended beyond its expected duration, workers at the Howard Johnson CAEXPO Plaza were forced to clean and reset the venue to prepare for the next day’s event, further adding to the national team’s challenging situation.
The organizers suggested rescheduling Game 3 for the following day, and SIBOL officials agreed. However, the players—composed of standouts from BOOM Esports—were determined to finish the game that same night.
“Sobrang exhausted na talaga ng lahat lalo it’s a one-day competition na almost 12 hours na but they are not showing it dahil sa sobrang kagustuhan na makapag-uwi ng medal. I’d say na nasa nature na talaga ng mga Pinoy na sanay tayo sa hirap at grabe puso lalo kapag dala natin ang bansa natin sa ibang bansa,” said head coach Christian “Ciiyan” Villegas.
Eventually, the organizers resolved the issue but were forced to remake the game.
As workers lifted tables and arranged chairs, SIBOL remained focused in the far left corner of the venue, playing with relentless determination to finish what they had started in the previous match.
Since the game coincided with the gold medal match between China and Malaysia, which had already concluded, the third-place match was not broadcasted. Several members of the Philippine delegation could only watch from a distance, unaware of the ongoing action, as the match was played off-stream.
But once they saw the players drop their phones, leap from their seats, and pump their fists in the air, they knew SIBOL had secured the hard-fought victory.
Their celebration seemed out of place, as the venue had already been transformed into a Jasmine Festival-themed setting—but it was a win they would gladly take, no matter the backdrop.
“Siguro isa ‘yun sa lakas nating mga Pinoy na hindi tayo sumusuko sa kahit ano na anong nangyayari sa paligid, dahil sa kagustuhan na makapag-uwi ng medalya para sa Pilipinas,” said team captain Miguel “Miggie” Banaag.
What made the victory even sweeter for the squad was the fact that they entered the competition expecting to play on the global server, only to discover upon arrival at the stage that the Chinese version of the game would be used instead.
It was a tough situation for the Philippines, as they were up against the home team, which had been playing the game for the past nine years.
“If you’d remember from our first interview na we are really confident that we thought na global patch server ang lalaruin, only until na nasa stage na tayo mismo na Chinese version pala ang lalaruin, the version that we did not prepare and played for,” said Villegas.
“Kaya nagulat talaga ako and nag-review lang ako ng Chinese meta during the check ping period. As for areas that we need to improve, it’s actually the experience playing on stage/onsite, so it is being worked on over time naman given sa dami ng tournaments that the team is participating,” he added.
Still, the team caught every wrench thrown at them during the one-day tournament and used it to tighten their grip on their ultimate goal—to announce the Philippines’ arrival in Honor of Kings.
“Of course, we came for the gold pero more than happy tayo sa na-achieve natin being in the podium sa HoK giants, China and Malaysia na many years ahead sa atin. And to think na even nakadikit tayo pareho sa China and Malaysia matches natin,” said the veteran esports coach.
“To add na Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia are also should-be favorites to be in the podium dahil they have the same experience as China and Malaysia, so I’d say na we overachieve naman despite only having the bronze medal.”
