By: Jerod Orcullo
Women’s sports in the Philippines have seen a significant increase in viewership in recent years as fans have begun to recognize the immense talent and skill of female athletes like Hidilyn Diaz, Nesthy Petecio, and, more recently, Alex Eala.
These athletes have made names for themselves in their respective international competitions, inspiring a growing appreciation for women’s sports.
However, when it comes to the esports scene, the coverage of female esports events has been relatively understated.
At a press conference held this Sunday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati, Zaira “Zaishii” Gilhang of Team Liquid Aqua credited Smart Omega Empress for breaking the mold and bringing more attention to the female Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) scene in the Philippines.
“Siguro naka-help din yung pag-champion ng Omega po, kaya parang nabigyan din po ng opportunity na mapansin yung FE dito. Katulad po namin, parang, yung ibang pro team, parang na-enganyo po na kumuha ng FE players,” Zaishii expressed.
(C) MPL PH
Smart Omega Empress made waves in the MLBB scene when they swept Team Vitality in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational 2024 x Esports World Cup on July 28, 2024.
Up until that point, Team Vitality, with its Indonesian roster, had dominated the female MLBB pro scene, holding a three-year winning streak across 24 tournaments.
Trina “Ramici” Ramos of Team Liquid Aqua explained that this success could be attributed to the cultural differences between the Philippines and Indonesia, particularly in terms of support for female esports players.
“Siguro po ano, parang iba talaga kasi sa Indo kesa sa Philippines yung female scene. So, dagdag din kasi yung support, I think kulang lang talaga sa support sa Philippines, and iba kasi yung, parang iba pa yung mindset dito kesa sa Indo na FE,” Ramici said.
(C) MPL PH
Zaishii echoed Ramici’s thoughts, pointing out that there are plenty of skilled female players in the MLBB scene but emphasized the importance of having a coach who is fully committed to improving the team’s performance.
“Feeling ko po kasi ano, yung commitment po siguro yung ano. Kasi sa amin sa FE naman po, napapansin ko madami naman po talagang magaling na player, pero parang hindi lang gaano nasusuportahan especially ng coach,” Zaishii stated.
“Pero siguro po kong yung coach committed talaga sa team, magiging help din po talaga para maangat yung standard ng female sa pro scene.”
Team Liquid Aqua is currently competing in the inaugural season of the Athena League, a league designed specifically for female players. With a 2-1 record after two weeks of play, the team is making strides in the competitive scene.
In their latest match, Ramici and Zaishii helped Team Liquid Aqua to a dominant clean sweep of Smart Omega Empress last Saturday.
