The Philippine national esports team, SIBOL, moved closer to qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games after a dominant 2-0 sweep against Mongolia in the group stage of the qualifiers at the Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel.
Following an opening victory over Pakistan, the Philippines holds a perfect 2-0 record in Group A. The stellar start keeps them tied with Indonesia at the top of the leaderboard.
”This second win is good for us. If we win our next match, we will surely get our spot in the main event of the Asian Games in Nagoya,” head coach Gerald Gelacio stated.
Despite holding the competitive momentum, Gelacio emphasized that the squad remains disciplined and focused on the immediate tasks ahead.
”Focused pa rin ngayon ang team kasi di pa naman totally tapos ang qualifiers. About sa gameplay naman natin, nalalaro naman natin onstage yung mga pinapractice namin sa scrims,” he added.
SIBOL looks to officially secure its ticket to Nagoya, Japan, when it faces third-seeded Uzbekistan on Wednesday, June 17.
The Filipinos showed total control during their series against Mongolia. In Game 1, Chammy Paul Nazarrea sparked an early offensive by recording five kills in the opening five minutes to establish a 7-0 lead.
Jungler Justine Ritchie Valencia Tan then secured an ace with a triple kill in the sixth minute, wrapping up the match in less than eight minutes.
Game 2 proved just as lopsided, with midlaner Dragon Hart Dajao leading the early attack. Dajao earned a double kill in the second minute to build a 3,000-gold advantage.
He later added a triple kill during a fifth-minute skirmish, widening the lead to 10,000 gold and allowing the Philippines to finish the series in only six minutes.