Sibol MLBB national team is set to take a tougher and longer road in the IESF World Esport Championship in Bali, Indonesia after falling short in the SEA qualifier on Monday, Sept. 12.
The quintet of Danerie “Wise” Del Rosario, Jonmar “OhmyV33nus” Villaluna, Salic “Hadji” Imam, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, and Edward “Edward” Dapadap split their assignments in the qualifier which denied them a top seed finish in the Group B and an outright berth in the Stage 2 of the global tournament.
The national team composed of the members of Blacklist International which are also seeing action in the MPL Philippines Season 10 started the qualifiers on a winning note after turning back Cambodia, 2-1, in the opening series.
The crew however got their scalp claimed by a formidable Myanmar crew which blanked the M3 World Champions, 2-0, in the second game. The loss also relegated the 31st Southeast Asian Games gold medalists to the Stage 1 of the WE Championship which will serve as a play-in tournament to the final stage.
Sibol though will have to face all of the other losing teams in the North and South qualifiers in the PANAM Open 2022; SEA, West, Central and South qualifiers in Asia; and the four other qualifiers in Europe and Africa for the final slots in Stage 2.
Despite losing in the qualifier, Sibol will still be flying to Indonesia for the next phase of the tournament.
“Mas mahaba lang yung dadaanan ng Sibol ML team kasi yung top teams sa group stage mapupunta na sa phase 2 agad,” said SIBOL general manager Leo “Jab” Escutin.
“Although mas mahirap, confident pa din kami sa Sibol ML team na madami sila natutunan sa group stage na pwede nila maprepare para sa darating na laban sa Bali,” he added.