SIBOL HOK opens Asian Games Qualifier with sweep of Pakistan
At A Glance
- The SIBOL Honor of Kings national team opened its campaign in the 2026 Asian Games Qualifiers in dominant fashion, sweeping Pakistan, 2-0, on Sunday, June 14, at the Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel.
The SIBOL Honor of Kings national team opened its campaign in the 2026 Asian Games Qualifiers in dominant fashion, sweeping Pakistan, 2-0, on Saturday, June 13, at the Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel.
The victory sent the Philippines into a share of the Group A lead with Indonesia, which also posted a 2-0 sweep of Mongolia in the opening day of competition.
The strong start gave the Filipinos an early confidence boost as they navigate a tough group, although head coach Gerald Gelacio reminded his squad to stay focused heading into its succeeding matches.
"First win! Malaking boost 'to sa atin going sa mga susunod na laban. Hopefully, magtuloy-tuloy. Di natin mamaliitin lahat ng mga kagroup natin," said Gelacio.
The Philippines wasted no time imposing its will in the opener, with jungler Justine Tan sparking an early advantage after securing a crucial pickoff during a third-minute skirmish that translated into a 2,000-gold lead.
SIBOL quickly widened the gap to 4,000 gold just two minutes later while building a commanding 9-2 kill advantage, leaving Pakistan with little room to recover.
The Filipinos cruised the rest of the way, conceding just one more death before wrapping up the match in under 10 minutes.
Tan starred with 10 kills and six assists against just one death, while top laner Chammy Paul Nazarrea chipped in five kills and 10 assists in another efficient performance.
Game Two followed a similar script as midlaner Dragon Dajao spearheaded another explosive start, helping SIBOL race to an 8-0 kill lead just six minutes into the contest.
Pakistan failed to mount any resistance as the Filipinos completed a flawless 13-0 rout, closing out the match in only eight minutes to secure their first series victory of the qualifiers.
The emphatic performance highlighted the chemistry and preparation that Gelacio had emphasized heading into the tournament while giving the Filipinos valuable momentum in their bid to earn a spot in the Asian Games proper later this year.
SIBOL returns to action later Sunday against Mongolia, with a chance to seize solo control of the Group A standings.