PETALING JAYA, Malaysia — The SIBOL Honor of Kings national team secured its place in the main stage of the Asian Games after remaining unbeaten in the qualifiers, sweeping Uzbekistan, 2-0, on Wednesday at the Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel here.
The victory improved the Philippines to a perfect 3-0 record in Group A, sealing its berth in the continental meet in Nagoya later this year.
Head coach Gerald Gelacio expressed his delight after the Filipinos clinched qualification ahead of a marquee showdown against regional rival Indonesia.
“Actually, sobrang saya namin kasi pasok na tayo sa Main Event. Isang karangalan para sa amin ang ma-represent ang Pilipinas sa Asian Games,” said Gelacio.
Despite already securing qualification, SIBOL remains focused on finishing the qualifiers strongly when it faces Indonesia in its final group-stage match.
“Of course, ‘yung approach namin going sa last match namin versus Team Indonesia is paghahandaan pa rin namin sila. May rivalry tayo versus them, so papakita namin ang lakas ng Pinas,” Gelacio added.
Unlike their previous outings, the Philippines faced its stiffest test of the qualifiers in Game 1, briefly trailing 2-1 in kills in the opening minutes against Uzbekistan.
SIBOL quickly wrested control, however, unleashing a six-kill unanswered run highlighted by Chammy Paul Nazarrea’s hot streak during a sixth-minute top-lane skirmish.
Midlaner Dragon Dajao then delivered a double kill midway through the 10th minute as SIBOL sealed the opener with a decisive 5-for-0 ace to secure the win.
In Game 2, Jhon Mike Tungol made his national team debut in place of Dajao and immediately made his presence felt, with an early kill helping SIBOL build a 5-0 lead by the fifth minute.
The Philippine side never looked back, overwhelming Uzbekistan from start to finish en route to a flawless 12-0 kill scoreline in an emphatic eight-minute sweep.
Roamer Charles Roman Cruz Esguerra orchestrated much of the action with two kills and 10 assists. Meanwhile, Tungol impressed in his debut with two kills and eight assists as SIBOL completed another commanding 2-0 victory.
With their ticket to Nagoya secured, the Philippines now turns its attention to a highly anticipated clash against Indonesia — a matchup that could serve as a preview of future battles between two of Southeast Asia’s strongest Honor of Kings teams on the road to the Asian Games.
