SIBOL closed its Naraka: Bladepoint campaign at the 20th Asian Games with a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong Wednesday at Aichi Sky Expo.
The Philippines finished third in Pool B with a 1-2 record, behind Vietnam and Chinese Taipei, and missed the top-two finish needed to advance to the semifinals.
SIBOL closes group stage with a win
The Philippines opened its group-stage campaign with losses to Chinese Taipei and Vietnam, ending its hopes of advancing before the final match.
SIBOL still finished its campaign on a positive note, battling Hong Kong through three games.
Team captain Joaquin Paclibar put the Philippines ahead in Game 1, taking down Mingjie Wang twice in the solo match to give SIBOL a 1-0 lead.
Hong Kong responded in Game 2 as Fanny Fung Ching Wong, Yu Hin Wong, and Kevin Lam defeated Richard Espejo, Von Teñoso, and Kenneth Perez to force a deciding game.
SIBOL regrouped for Game 3 and held off Hong Kong to secure the 2-1 victory.
Paclibar highlights international experience
Despite missing the semifinals, Paclibar said the campaign showed the team that its preparation was enough to compete with the region’s best, while also identifying adaptation as an area for improvement.
“For this group stage, we’re confident that we executed what we practiced. But the teams at this level are really good, and they adapt very quickly. That’s something we still need to improve on,” Paclibar said.
The Philippines earned its Asian Games berth through the qualifying tournament in Singapore before making the trip to Japan.
For Paclibar, reaching the Asian Games itself provided proof that Filipino Naraka players can compete at the international level.
“Qualifying through Singapore and then making it to Japan gave us proof that there are players from the Philippines who can compete at a high level,” he said.
“The hours we’ve put in throughout our growth have all led to this moment and we’re very grateful.”
SIBOL now shifts its attention to the rest of its Asian Games esports campaign, with the Philippines also competing in Puyo Puyo Champions, Pokémon Unite, Honor of Kings, Identity V, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
