Michael “Kyaaah” Belaya (September 20, 1997-April 18, 2021), the coach who steered NRX Jeremiah 29:11 to the Call of Duty Mobile World Championships, has passed away, Sunday.
He was just 23 years old.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved friend and clan master, Michael Belaya a.k.a Kyaaah today, April 18, 2021,” NRX Esports announced on their Facebook page.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this moment.”
Kyaaah spearheaded the history-making NRX Jeremiah 29:11 squad that has Jerrold “Woopiiee” Regay, John Kenneth “KenDy” Pimentel, Kennedy “iDra” Mondoy, JC “Jayzee” Rivera, Benj “CRUSH” Trinidad, and Warren “WarrenTzy” Jadear to the 2020 CODM World Championships after taking down Daivo.FreeSlot of Thailand, 3-2, in the grand finals of the Garena Qualifiers.
Unfortunately, though, game publisher Activision postponed the tournament due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The player-turned-coach’s last foray on the scene was in the Garena Invitational 2021 where he led NRX Jeremiah to a fourth-place finish.
Since his demise, tributes have poured in for the beloved mentor whom many consider as a trailblazer in the local scene due to his success in the CODM stage.
A group of pub gamers led by content creator Pabbie Gaming took a knee on Sunday evening in a CODM Battle Royal room to pay their respects to Kyaaah.
