Courtesy: POC Media
The Philippine national esports team SIBOL made history after capturing two bronze medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The medal haul began with the Pokémon UNITE team, which swept Hong Kong, 2-0 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.
The Filipinos, unfortunately, suffered a 0-2 loss to Indonesia and finished in joint third.
The Philippines actually had a strong start in Game 1 behind Robert Mempin’s Cinderace. But Indonesia turned the game around after securing Kyogre in the final two minutes and escaped with a 312-277 win.
Indonesia carried the momentum in Game 2, pulling away early for an 887-204 victory. Although they fell short of the gold, the Pokemon Unite crew remained proud after securing the country’s first-ever esports medal at the Asian Games.
The Honor of Kings squad followed suit less than 24 hours later, defeating South Korea, 2-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to defending champions China, 0-2 in the semifinals.
The back-to-back podium finishes gave the Philippines its first-ever official esports medals at the Asian Games.
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