SIBOL secured a triumphant 3-1 victory over IESF 2022 champion Indonesia in the grand final of the 2023 International Esports Federation 15th World Esports Championship.
The Filipino representatives, comprising players from AP Bren, suffered just one defeat throughout the entire tournament, which happened during the grand final match.
This achievement comes after SIBOL’s last success at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in May, where they emerged victorious with the same roster of players against the same region.
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Powerhouse SIBOL dominates the IESF 2023 grand final against Indonesia
The first game lasted for a staggering 29 minutes, one of the longest matches in the tournament. Both teams were evenly matched, with no clear advantage in terms of gold or objectives.
However, a perfectly executed Rough Waves ultimate by Marcel “Moreno” Sinulingga on Kadita near the Lord pit caught two SIBOL members, shifting the momentum decisively.
With two SIBOL members down, Indonesia capitalized, aggressively pushing down the midlane toward the base to secure the first game, handing the first tournament loss to their opponents.
SIBOL swiftly retaliated in games two and three, achieving dominant victories.
Michael “PHI. Sayson” Sayson led the offensive in the second game as Fredrinn, earning the MVP title with a near-flawless 6/1/8 KDA.
In the third game, Marco “PHI. Requitano” Requitano took the helm on Brody, overseeing a lopsided 23-5 kill score. He concluded with an impressive 11/1/5 KDA
For the final game, Indonesia opted for sustain-heavy heroes like Baxia, Novaria, and X.Borg. SIBOL countered with Valir and Pharsa, leveraging on their disengage abilities.
The Filipino squad started strong in the early to mid-game, securing a 5-0 kill score.
They capitalized on this lead, securing the Lord at the 12-minute mark. They pushed alongside the Lord in the midlane, committing fully to the crystal to secure the victory.
With this win, they will take home the lion’s share of the US$100,000 prize pool.
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