Sibol Pokémon Unite which will represent the Philippines at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Kennedy Caacbay, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Sibol’s Pokémon Unite squad is looking to make its mark at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games — and perhaps achieve what it could not at the recent Pokémon World Championships.
Still stinging from their early exit at Worlds, Lawrence “RBX” Gatmaitan, Kim Rey “Kyy” Salazar, Duke “Dylan” Leoncio, Robert “SynC1” Mempin, Lance “Lance” David, and Michael “Miva” Ocio are hungry for redemption as they don the Philippine colors on the continental stage.
"Mas naging hungry ako manalo, kasi 'di namin nabigay nang buong-buo 'yung performance namin sa Worlds," Kyy said.
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"Ako naman, sa paparating na Asian Games, siguro mas gigil ako kasi buong Pilipinas 'yung nirerepresenta namin," said SynC1. "Para sa akin, kumpara dun sa last World Championship namin, mas gigil ako ngayon sa Asian Games, para sa Pilipinas."
At the recent Pokémon World Championships, the squad, which competed under Team Nemesis, finished joint ninth to 16th and took home $10,000 in prize money. Their campaign ended in the first round of the playoffs following a loss to South Korea’s T1.
Now, the Sibol squad is setting its sights on at least a top-four finish in Aichi-Nagoya, banking on the lessons they learned from Worlds and the improved chemistry they have developed since.
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"Expectation ko sa paparating na Asian Games, tingin ko, aabot kami na for sure, maka-top 4," said SynC1. "Pinag-uusapan namin kung ano 'yung kulang, kumpara dati [na hindi]. So, 'yun lang, kailangan na maging open sa isa't isa para mas ma-okay 'yung synergy."
But while a top-four finish is the immediate target, the Sibol Pokémon Unite squad has its eyes set on the gold medal as it looks to make their families proud.
"For me, sobrang proud kasi isa [kami sa maglalaro sa] Asian Games, and 'yun nga, nire-represent namin [Pilipinas] and aiming for the gold medal. And also for my family," said Kyy.
"Ako, sobrang proud din ako kasi every year, every major tournament ng Pokémon Unite, kami lagi 'yung pinapalipad. So 'yun, nakaka-proud din, para din sa saril ko at sa pamilya ko, at sa asawa ko," said SynC1.