On paper, Onic Philippines’ exp laner, Nowee “Ryota” Macasa, looked like the odd man out as the only non-Bren Esports member selected for the national team in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
But internally, his presence was deeply valued by his teammates and provided a big boost during their gold medal campaign in the regional meet.
Team captain Angelo “Pheww” Arcangel revealed that Ryota provided important inputs to head coach Francis “Duckey” Glindro during their scrimmages as part of their build-up for the SEA Games.
“Hindi namin nafeel na hindi siya belong kasi lagi siyang nakikisama samin kapag kakain. Lahat ng bagay kasama siya samin,” said Pheww on Ryota.
“Tapos ang dami niya ring naitutulong lalo na kay Flap kapag nag-iiscrim kami. Sinasabi niya kay Coach Duckey kung ano yung mga nakikita niyang possible na pwedeng iimprove.”
On the other hand, Kyle Angelo “KyleTzy” Sayson, while helping out his fellow exp laner David “FlapTzy” Canon, also expressed his gratitude towards his Sibol teammate who was instrumental in boosting his confidence with his Lancelot pick in ranked games.
“Sakin si Ryota ang laki ng impact niya kasi ano, gabi-gabi duo kami para mabatak ko yung Lancelot ko eh. Eh tabi kami matulog kaya lagi kaming duo sa RG,” said KyleTzy.
Aside from being a ranked game buddy, Ryota was also FlapTzy’s coffee buddy, especially in games when they were feeling stressed.
“Sa akin naman ano, sobrang laki ng impact ni Ryota kase lalo na nung Malaysia, nung natalo kami. Pag niyaya ko siya ng kape, g kaagad siya. Ayun, mas nag-improve yung chemistry namin dahil kay Ryota,” recalled FlapTzy.
For Ryota, besides providing impact from the sidelines for his Sibol teammates, representing the national team also meant he was able to learn from his teammates.
The win was vindication for Ryota that he, too, could make it big on the international stage despite back-to-back first-round exits in MPL Philippines Season 10 and 11.
“Sakin masaya ko kasi lagi akong first round exit sa MPL eh. At least ngayon umabot ng grand finals,” Ryota said with a laugh in the post-game interview after Sibol’s gold medal conquest.
