Team ONIC bagged first place at the Mytel Myanmar tournament against eight Southeast Asian teams
By Nicole Ganglani | Art by Saii Shah
Team ONIC Philippines finished first at the Mytel Myanmar Mobile Legends COVID-19 Charity tournament held Mar. 30 to Apr. 8.
Known as the underdog of the tournament, ONIC Philippines faced off against larger teams from other Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore. The international Mobile Legends tournament was organized by game developer Moonton and telecommunications firm Mytel Myanmar with the total $10,000 prize money (approximately P507,360) donated to COVID-19 cure and prevention efforts in Myanmar.
Team ONIC made their presence felt early on after a dominant elimination round performance. From the group stages, only six teams qualified for the playoffs led by ONIC Philippines and the Burmese Ghouls, who secured their slots in the semifinals with 19 and 16 points, respectively.
In the grand finals, the Yangon Galacticos, also from Myanmar, failed to quell the advance of ONIC Philippines, 0-2, as the Filipinos finished in first place. Meanwhile, Team Yellow and Black and the Ghouls battled it out for the silver medal, with the Burmese prevailing, 3-2.
The Mytel Myanmar COVID-19 Charity Tournament was attended by ONIC Philippines, the Burmese Ghouls, Claw Esports, Team SMG, Yangon Galacticus, Outworld, Impunity and Team Reslection. More information on the event, including team standings, is available on the Myanmar Game Hub Facebook page.
Team ONIC is helping COVID-19 victims through esports
For ONIC Philippines, using their platform to collaborate with different organizations is an important way to spread awareness and encourage people to donate to COVID-19 relief and response efforts. Esports competitions for charity and the use of digital payments are some ways the community have been raising donations for COVID-19 relief efforts.
“We hope we are inspiring others to help out too. No matter how big or small our actions may seem, any help we give can make a difference. Everyone has a part,” says team captain Jonmar Villaluna.
The team will continue to look at how it can partner or support different NGOs and institutions in response to COVID-19, said ONIC Philippines country manager and head of business development Rafael Sanchez.
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