Sibol sets record straight on MLBB requalifiers, bans for Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines, March 21 ------ The Philippines’ national esports team, Sibol, clarified its decision to conduct requalifiers for its Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) national squad bound for the Asian Games, citing shifting timelines, personnel changes, and the need to field the strongest possible roster closer to the competition.

Sibol officials stressed that following the initial national qualifiers held late last year, no MLBB athlete had been officially confirmed for the Asian Games roster, as the selection process was still ongoing. “Unless the Combine is finished, we have not confirmed any of the athletes yet. The first and only person that we are confirming for the national roster is the coach,” said Sibol general manager Jab Escutin.

The early qualifiers were conducted amid expectations of an earlier Asian Games regional qualification window, which later changed. “We were given early information that there was supposed to be a regional qualifier last February. That’s why we had to prepare for the first qualifier last November,” explained Escutin.

With the Asian Games set for September, Sibol noted that the long gap between the first qualifiers and the main event made it difficult to rely on earlier results alone. “The Asian Games is happening in September. So alam namin and alam natin lahat na sobrang daming mangyaring changes pa. We wanted the qualifiers to be as close as possible para [makuha natin] sino yung current na pinakamalakas,” said Sibol's overall head coach Ralph Andrei "Leathergoods" Llabres.

The decision to hold requalifiers also came amid changes within the MLBB competitive landscape, including the departure of the previous head coach and evolving player situations. Last year, Anthony "YnoT" Senedrin moved from ONIC Philippines to Indoneisa's NAVI Esports while goldlaner Duane Grant “Kelra” Pillas has taken his talents to Indonesia's ONIC Esports.

Given the changes to coaches and player lineups, as well as the movement of the regional qualifiers, Sibol thought it best to redo the qualifiers. "The only goal [is] making sure that we send the best athletes at the time that we need them to be. So, I think the decision to do the re-qualifiers stems from that. Kasi, as much as we want to just move down the line of all of the other teams that have qualified, I think it puts us at a little bit of a disadvantage because we will be working with players that have used the old meta to be successful, and with the way esports is very fluid, I think it would be a better decision for us to just go through the entire thing,” said Escutin.

The requalifiers drew criticism from fans, particularly those who believed earlier results should have guaranteed slots for certain teams or players. Sibol emphasized that the move was not meant to target any specific organization or roster or those who have taken their talents abroad. "I always tell everybody, it doesn't matter where you are, the only challenge that you have if you're outside of the country is to find an all-Filipino team to play with in the qualifiers. To be honest, we don't really care where you are. As long as you register with an all-Filipino team, you can play in the qualifiers. You have an opportunity,” clarified Escutin.

Sibol further clarified its stance on players who join the national qualifiers but later decline to be part of the national team, noting that participation in the process comes with responsibility. “You only join the qualifiers if you have the full intent to serve the Philippines. For whatever reason you tell us that you do not prefer to serve your country, we take that very seriously,” said Escutin. While Sibol acknowledged that such measures — like banning a player for a period of time — can be unpopular, the policy exists to protect opportunities for other athletes and those who are just starting out.

Escutin added, “It hinders other people from grabbing an opportunity. Right now, I'm very happy that each and every time we have at the MLBB qualifiers, we have a development team or an amateur team that gets into the combine. That's very important for us, because it engages the community. It gives, you know, amateur teams something to aspire to. And it also proves, or at least, gives me, you know, comfort that we have more new players that can represent the Philippines in the future."

Source: philstar.com