Jab Escutin, the general manager of Sibol, agreed with panelists that more work has to be done to support women in sports, including esports.
In the past, esports was labeled as a male-dominated industry, both in competition and in leadership roles within various affiliated organizations.
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However, as with traditional sports, the shift in the role of women in the industry is deemed minimal, and more could be done. In the Philippines, women in esports have received some attention thanks to events like the Women’s Invitational for Mobile Legends Bang Bang and the women’s esports events for the Southeast Asian Games, where female athletes representing Sibol, the nation’s national esports team, have won gold and silver medals.
Improved conditions for female players
Speaking to Philstar.com during the Equal Play forum, which examined the advancements made by Filipina athletes, the general manager of Sibol, Jab Escutin, concurred with the panelists’ statements that more work needs to be done to support women in sports, especially esports.
According to Escutin, there should be a cultural shift in terms of how women are generally treated in sports. He stated that in esports, he is hoping that there is a better situation than most sports because there is no physical aspect. He also added that there’s still a lot of work to be done”.
Escutin thinks this year has a lot of big opportunities for women in esports because this year’s esports tournament also features female participation, the upcoming Mobile Legends Bang Bang Women’s Invitational during the Esports World Cup, and the women’s events for the International Esports Federations’ World Esports Championship.
He added,
“We are going in the right direction in showcasing the talent of women in sports, particularly esports. One of my biggest motivations is that I have a daughter, and I want to create a space for her. When she grows up, if she decides to go into sports or esports, I want her to live in a society wherein women in sports are the norm. If you get an achievement, you are celebrated because of the skill and anything else is secondary. I want that for her and for all young girls who dream of being athletes,”
Anticipating more medals
Sibol general manager Leo “Jab” Escutin and head coach Ralph Andrei “Leathergoods” Llabres anticipate that at least 80% of athletes competing in upcoming tournaments will take home a medal, and they feel that the national esports team’s campaign will continue.
Philippine esports body expects more wins in World Championships, Asian Games https://t.co/zILGV46Dg2 | @MGLojo @PhilstarNews
— Philstar Sports Hub (@StarSportsHub) July 6, 2023
Furthermore, Sibol won medals in every esports competition they participated in at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, their first competition of the year. They took home a total of six medals, including two golds, one silver, and three bronzes. Since the team’s debut in the 2019 biennial meet, where they took home three golds, one silver, and one bronze, their most successful campaign to date
SIBOL will compete in four games at the upcoming World Esports Championship (WEC): PUBG Mobile, Dota2, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, and Tekken 7.
However, in the Group Stage Dota 2 matches at the Hangzhou Esports center, Philippine Sibol’s desperate attempts to salvage something from its 19th Asian Games esports campaign ended in a 0-1 loss to Uzbekistan.
#AsianGames: National esports team Sibol ends run without medal https://t.co/IxWxEOlYtk
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 30, 2023
After losing, the Sibol team led by Eljohn Andales was eliminated from the quarterfinals, and Uzbekistan advanced to the next round after winning both of its Group A games.
Djardel “DJ” Mampusti, a star of Bleed Esports, joined Sibol, strengthening the lineup that Polaris Esports players dominate.
Sibol had previously become more optimistic about its prospects after the Filipino players defeated India.
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