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| The longer wait for the Olympic Esports Games means more time for Sibol to build up. Sibol (file photo) |
MAKATI--The postponement of the inaugural Olympic Esports Games could be a blessing in disguise for Philippine Esports Organization executive director Marlon Marcelo.
According to the former shout caster known by the in-game name "Lon," the rescheduling of the said event would give the entire Sibol program more time to prepare, especially for games in which the Philippines lags behind in global play.
"It's a welcome development for us, number one in terms of preparation. It gives us more time to adjust," Marcelo told Dugout Philippines on Thursday after the preseason press conference for MPL Philippines Season 15 at the Green Sun Hotel Ballroom.
Amid speculations that the likes of DOTA 2 are now in even if the Olympic Esports Games will now be played in 2027, he clarified that until now, PESO still has no idea which esports titles will actually be played in the new Olympiad.
"The biggest problem when they announced the Esports Olympics is that we are still blindsided what are the games that will be played in that specific Olympic year," Marcelo said, adding that the postponement gives PESO "1-2 years of pivot" in its preparation.
He then revealed that the International Olympic Committee could make the official announcement on the esports events that would take place in the 2027 games in Riyadh as soon as the fourth quarter of 2025.
"We have at least a year to prepare in conjunction with the coming Asian Games," Marcelo said.
He also said that postponing the Olympic Esports Games is good for the business as this will ensure that the parity in each competition would be as close to the optimal level as possible.
Marcelo also said that PESO is already taking into consideration the possibility that other national teams would tap Filipino coaches, especially in titles where the Philippines is a powerhouse like Mobile Legends Bang Bang.
"The preparation will come in as early as once the games are announced. We need to have very robust tryouts. We don't know. Baka kunin yung mga coaches natin ng ibang bansa because they want to have a shot at it," Marcelo further said, adding that he is also gearing up at what Indonesia would do if MLBB makes the cut.
Although not mentioned, Malaysia, the reigning IESF world champion for MLBB, could also be a huge threat assuming that the Selangor core led by Filipino mentor Michael "Arcadia" Bocado will remain the national team until 2027.
For now, PESO's focus is on the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok in December, where Sibol, Indonesia, and Malaysia are tagged as favorites for the MLBB gold in both the men's and women's events.
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