Allec Alvarado, Sanford Vinuya, Alston Pabico, Jaypee Dela Cruz, Duane Pillas, Karl Nepomuceno, Dave Viaña, Michael Angelo Bocado and Kim Sebanes. PESO/Handout
Sibol bowed out of medal contention after a shocking 1-2 loss to rival Indonesia in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports event of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 at Aichi Sky Expo on Wednesday.
The Philippines, represented by the core of four-time MPL Philippines champion Team Liquid, struggled to establish its footing as Indonesia’s aggressive start repeatedly disrupted the Filipinos' plans throughout the series.
After dropping a tightly contested Game 1, Sibol, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, bounced back in Game 2, weathering the early-game pressure that had hounded them throughout the series to level the match.
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Game 3 followed a similar script, with Indonesia once again seizing the initiative from the opening minutes. This time, however, the Philippines could not mount another response as the Indonesians gradually pulled away to close out the series, 22-18, in 17 minutes.
Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, who had been stellar throughout the series, was neutralized by Indonesia’s suffocating jungle control in Game 3, with his Nolan pick struggling to find farm and falling behind in levels.
By the 10-minute mark, Sibol had been stripped of nearly all its resources, with the opposing side claiming six turrets, three Turtles, and a Lord to build a 7,000-gold advantage and leave the Philippines with little room to mount a comeback.
It was an abrupt end to the title favorites’ gold medal aspirations, with Sibol, which is also backed by Smart, Cignal, TV5, and Arena Social, sweeping Pool C through convincing wins over Jordan and Kazakhstan before its campaign came to a sudden halt against Indonesia.
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Composing the MLBB squad are Nepomuceno, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz, Dave “Teddy” Viana, and Duane “Kelra” Pillas.
The loss marked the end of Sibol’s campaign in the Asian Games, with the Philippines’ esports delegation delivering bronze medals in both Honor of Kings and Pokémon Unite.