SMART Omega Esports gave Gilas Pilipinas stalwarts and Mobile Legends enthusiasts SJ Belangel and Geo Chiu a much-needed morale booster ahead of the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament wars in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday.
Omega provided both Belangel and Chiu in-game skins to fire them up for the Belgrade OQT where they will face host and the Dominican Republic, respectively, in Group A.
Belangel, the hero of Gilas Pilipinas’ 81-78 victory over Korea in the final window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, picked the Swordmaster skin of Lancelot while Chiu, who played two games in the qualifiers, selected the Cosmic Gleam skin of Gusion.
“Competing for the country comes with great pressure and while the FIBA OQT is still a few days away from starting, nothing is more nerve-wracking than wait for the matches to start.
“Since we know that these cagers play ML in their spare time, hopefully, the skins can help boost their morale and help them relax in the lead-up to games,” said Omega Esports brand manager Miko Cuartero.
Omega hopes that through ML, the 21-year-old Belangel and the 20-year-old Chiu will find some stress-reliever during their free time before or after their trainings.
“Thank you sa SMART Omega for giving us some Legendary skins. Talagang thankful kami sa kanila at babawi kami sa kanila sa mga laro dito sa Serbia,” said Belangel.
“We are really thankful to SMART Omega for the gifts they gave us. We would also like to wish them luck in the upcoming MPL Philippines Season 8 tournament,” said Chiu.
“Just like how they are supporting us right now, we will be supporting them in their tournaments.”
Belangel and Chiu showcased their Mobile Legends skills last December in the Smart Omega Crossover where basketball and volleyball athletes teamed up with Omega Esports players in the four-team showpiece.
Belangel’s most notable performance in the showpiece was when he led the Eagles to a 2-0 sweep against the Bulldogs. He tallied monster numbers of 13 kills and 15 assists against just three deaths with his signature hero Natalia in the series-clinching Game Two.
Gilas will take on Serbia on June 30 and then the Dominican Republic on July 1.
