Sibol, the Philippine national esports team, officially starts its journey to the 31st SEA Games, which will be held in Hanoi from May 12 to May 23, 2022, in the city of the same name.
When Sibol was done with its roster in February 2022, there were 55 athletes and 9 coaches who were competing for the gold medal at the upcoming regional sports event. Sibol made its debut at the 30th SEA Games, powered by Smart. Since then, it has had major sponsors like PLDT, TV5, Cignal, and Realme as of this writing, as well.
When the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO) held a press briefing, the team showed off its new logo and a first look at the official jersey. The team’s slogan, “Lakad Matatag,” was also shown. In the game Dota2 called, PeSO Executive Director Marlon “Lon” Marcelo used this battle cry. It has become famous around the world.
PeSO is the country’s official body for esports in the country. As of 2020, it will be an associate member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). Since 2012, it has been a member of the International E-sports Federation (IESF).
PeSO also gave the press a sneak peek at the athlete list during the press conference. There were Kristoffer Ed L. Ricaplaza, Christine Ray Roque Natividad, Angel Danica Quiros Lozada, Dennis O. Ramos Jr., and Ralph Andrei M. Llabres at the event. They were all coaches for the Wildrift No.1 Female Team SEA.
As soon as the next couple of weeks goes by, Sibol is going to show off its entire team. They’ll be competing in all 10 esports events at the 31st SEA Games. They’ll be playing games like FIFA 4, CrossFire and Arena of Valor as well as games like Garena Free Fire and PUBG. In 2022, the first group of delegates will fly to Hanoi on the week of May 9, 2022.
“We’re very proud to support a talented and passionate team who has been working hard to be the best they can be for our country.” People on the PeSO board are sure that Sibol will keep putting the Philippines on the global esports map and show that Filipinos can win in this field. Jane Basas, a PeSO board member and the SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, says that.
At the moment, the 64-strong Sibol team is training at the Brenn Esports Facility in Makati, which is paid for by the Smart company.
He says PeSO and its sponsors are planning a series of events for the delegation that will give local and international esports fans a chance to meet them before the competitions start, so they can get to know them better.
Bringing in an all-new Sibol delegation, featuring an all-female team and twin athletes
At the 31st SEA Games, Sibol will show off its first all-female team for League of Legends: Wild Rift, as well as the first-ever twin male athletes who will be competing for Wild Rift on their own for the first time.
Most of the people on the team are new to baseball. The only exception is manager Jabs Escutin, who led the MLBB to the gold medal this year.
“Each athlete from the new Sibol team proved that they are at the top of their game when we conducted the nationwide search. The team hails from different backgrounds and ages all united by one shared goal of winning big at the upcoming international events,” says Escutin.
Escutin also adds that they are grateful to be backed by their sponsors – Smart, PLDT, Realme, TV5, and Cignal who will join them in their Lakad Matatag journey.
Realme will be sponsoring all 64 delegates with a smartphone for their official use.
Making firsts in PH esports history at international sports events
Sibol made history when he won five medals at the 30th SEA Games in Manila in 2019. He won three gold, one silver, and one bronze in Dota 2, Starcraft II, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Tekken 7, and Starcraft II at the games.
Sibol won the first-ever esports gold medal in Southeast Asia with a score of 3-2 in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
The team that has been named will also be representing the Philippines at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and the 14th IESF Esports World Championship in Bali, both of which are coming up later this year.
