SIBOL MLBB Men cruised through the group stage, going undefeated to secure a direct berth in the medal rounds as the top seed from Group B of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competition at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Saturday at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
The three-time SEA Games gold medalists were rarely tested, stringing together four consecutive sweeps to advance to the semifinals with commanding momentum.
After three straight sweeps and with a semifinal spot on the line, SIBOL faced Malaysia in their final group stage match. It was a tense early-game battle marked by multiple lead changes.
Holding a slim 1,000 net worth lead, Alston “Sanji” Pabico (Yve) secured a double kill during a 10th-minute scramble. That sparked a 4-1 exchange that put SIBOL firmly in the lead and ensured they finished as the top seed in Group B.
Malaysia settled for second place and will face host nation Thailand in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Group B third seed Indonesia will take on Vietnam, with the winner advancing to meet the Philippines in the semifinals.
Earlier in the day, the Filipinos swept perennial contender Indonesia, 2-0, before dispatching Laos, 2-0, to quickly claim the top spot in Group B.
SIBOL maintained their momentum, defeating Singapore in just 10 minutes for their third consecutive sweep, and capped off their dominant group stage performance with a thrilling victory over Malaysia.
Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, in his second tour of duty with SIBOL, will lead the charge in the semifinals as the team aims for a fourth-straight SEA Games gold.
He will be joined by Team Liquid PH teammates Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz, and Twisted Minds standout John Carlo “Caloy” Romana on the SIBOL MLBB roster.
