Sibol Pilipinas secured a historic bronze medal in Pokémon UNITE esports at the 2026 Asian Games after Sibol fell to Indonesia, 0-2, in the semifinals on Sunday at the Aichi Sky Expo Hall.
Sibol came close to taking the opening game after building a substantial advantage, but Indonesia turned the match around during the crucial late-game Kyogre battle.
The Philippines led 312-277 before Indonesia secured Kyogre in the final two minutes and completed the comeback to steal Game 1.
The setback proved costly for Sibol, which struggled to regain its rhythm in the second game. Indonesia quickly established control and cruised to an 887-204 victory to complete the sweep.
Sibol head coach Albert Camp pointed to the decisive Kyogre encounter as the turning point of the series.
“Actually nung Game 1, sobrang swerte nung kalaban. If you will notice, sobrang low health nung mga kalaban. It’s just that kinapos tayo,” Camp said.
Despite falling short of a place in the final, Camp remained proud of the team after it delivered the Philippines’ first-ever esports medal in the Asian Games.
“Still, sobrang happy. I’m still in awe kasi first time and sobrang happy ako sa boys ko kasi nga lifetime na nilang dadalhin ‘to. Na nagdala sila ng medalya para sa bansang Pilipinas,” he said.
Sibol, composed of Kim Rey Salazar and Michael Vaughn Ocio, with Lance David and Camp, entered the semifinals after sweeping Hong Kong, 2-0, in the quarterfinals.
The Filipinos, however, were unable to reproduce that performance against Indonesia, with both semifinal games turning on late Kyogre fights that allowed their opponents to erase their leads.
Supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee, Sibol’s bronze marked a milestone for Philippine esports on the Asian Games stage. (Adrian Co)
