Sibol MLBB team head coach Kristoffer “Bon Chan” Ricaplaza is looking to replicate Blacklist International’s successful run in the M3 World Championship when his team faces familiar foes in the Mobile Legends event in the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
The team bannered by the M3 World Champion trio of Jonmar “OhmyV33nus” Villaluna, Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario and Salic “Hadji” Imam is pegged as the favorites to win the tournament although rival countries are also expected to put up tough challenge to Sibol’s bid for the gold.
Villaluna remains wary of Indonesia especially that it’s fielding an all-star cast led by RRQ Hoshi’s Albert "Alberttt" Neilsen Iskandar and Onic Indonesia’s Calvin "CW" Winata to atone its silver medal finish in the 2019 edition of the biennial meet.
Indonesia, once the best country in global MLBB esports scene, only finished second to Sibol after the Filipinos prevailed in a pulsating 3-2 victory in the Grand Finals.
“Last Sibol, Indonesia yung pinaka kalaban ng Pilipinas pero sa ngayon kasi talagang lumalakas na rin yung ibang bansa di na natin alam kung sino ang pwede kacompete talaga ng PH,” said the Blacklist skipper during the Sibol SEA Games campaign kick-off at the TV 5 Media Center on Thursday, March 17.
For Ricaplaza, however, there’s high chance that Sibol will once again bring home the gold mint considering the history between Blacklist and its rival teams from the neighboring countries.
“Ang maganda diyan ang advantage natin against Indonesia ay kapag narinig na nila yung team na Blacklist, mawawala na sa laro yun,” said Ricaplaza.
‘Yun siguro yung pinakamalaking advantage natin lalo na nandyan yung V33wise and basta marinig lang nila na ‘uy blacklist kalaban natin’ kasi ilang beses na natin sila nabigyan so malaking advantage ang meron tayo against all other teams,” he furthered.
Ricaplaza also added that it’s always a pleasure and there’s always a sense of pride donning the country’s color whether in the world championship or in SEA Games.
“Sobrang importante kasi buong Pilipinas na yung nirerepresenta namin although natry na namin na irepresenta yung Pilipinas noong M3 at naging successful tayo,” he added. “Hopefully magaya natin kung ano yung naaccompish natin (sa M3)".