KUALA LUMPUR: The titles eluded them but Malaysian players nevertheless reaffirmed their world class status at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently.
Malaysian participation at the world meet concluded on Friday (Aug 15) as Armenian Rocket League team Virtus Pro, which featured Nik Aiman Hakim “Sphinx” Nik Azhar, was knocked out in the group stage.
Malaysia earned three podium finishes at this year’s EWC.
Selangor Red Giants (SRG.OG), who lifted the Mid Season Cup x EWC title last season, got their campaign off to a shaky start this year and suffered a shock defeat to Myanmar’s Mythic Seal in the group stage.
But the early setback served to galvanise the team, who went on to become the first team to reach back to back grand finals.
Although they were outclassed by Team Liquid Philippines in the decider — going down 4-1 — SRG.OG still pocketed a cool US$500,000 (RM2,137,500) for their efforts.
North American women’s MLBB side Gaimin Gladiators featured three Malaysians in their ranks: head coach Kelvin “Rexvinn” Unting, analyst Farhan “SoraPayung” Ibrahim, and player Sharifah Alia Husna “Aria” Syed Fakrrurozi.
After being comprehensively beaten by Navi MY in their opening MLBB Women’s Invitational match, many expected an early exit for the team.
Instead, they bounced back with a win over China‘s Tidal Legends Gaming, setting up a rematch with Navi MY.
This time, the tables turned. The North Americans avenged their earlier loss before stunning defending champions Navi Philippines in the quarter-finals en route to the grand final.
The final, however, was a one-sided affair as Indonesia’s Team Vitality reclaimed their crown with a dominant 4-0 victory. Gaimin Gladiators walked away with US$150,000 (RM636,600).
Sharifah Alia made history as the first Malaysian woman to contest an international MLBB final. Kelvin and Farhan became only the second and third Malaysians to coach a team to an international final.
In the Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC), Nova Esports carried high hopes after an unbeaten run to the semi-finals.
But their dreams were dashed by Chinese powerhouse TT Global. Nova drew first blood in the best-of-seven, but the East Asian side stormed back to win the next four games for a 4-1 victory.
Nova bounced back with a convincing 3-0 win over Italy’s Twisted Minds in the third-place playoff to secure a podium finish — along with US$150,000 (RM636,600) in prize money.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
