By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
SIBOL’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) team fell short of defending their world title, suffering a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat against Malaysia in the grand finals of the IESF World Esports Championship 2024 on Friday at the SEF Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory marked Malaysia’s second international triumph of the year, following their dramatic 4-3 win over Falcons AP.Bren at the Mid-Season Cup 2024.
In Game 1, which lasted 21 minutes and 52 seconds, the Philippines struggled early on. Ilman “Gojes” Zulkifli (Hylos) effectively disrupted Michael Angelo Sayson (Nolan), denying him opportunities to secure key objectives. The Malaysians capitalized on this momentum and sealed the opener with a decisive mid-lane push after capturing the Lord at the 20:45 mark.
Game 2 proved even more one-sided. The Malaysian squad, composed of Selangor Red Giants and JP Niners players, closed the match in just 12 minutes and 39 seconds. Hazziq “Stormie” Rizwan (Faramis) and Ealtond “Lolealz” Rayner (Moskov) delivered flawless performances, combining for six kills and nine assists.
Despite the painful loss, SIBOL displayed an exceptional run throughout the tournament. They dominated Group B with an undefeated 2-0 record, securing a 2-0 sweep against Morocco and a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Malaysia during the group stages last Wednesday.
In the playoffs, the Filipino squad showcased their strength by sweeping Argentina 2-0 in the quarterfinals and delivering another commanding 2-0 victory against host Saudi Arabia in the semifinals on Thursday.
For their efforts, SIBOL MLBB earned the silver medal and a $40,000 prize as part of the tournament’s $160,000 prize pool.
SIBOL’s roster consisted of players from MDL PH team RRQ Kaito, including Edferdz “Ferdz” Fernandez, Carl “Minguin” Gallantes, Cymond “Cy” Torres, Denniel “xNova” Gomez, Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson, and Gabriel “DENJIRO” Guinto, alongside Falcons AP.Bren’s Michael Angelo Sayson, with head coach Francis “Ducky” Glindro leading the team.
