A TRAGIC TURN of events occurred in the Philippine Mobile Legends esports scene as former MPL Player and current MDL head coach, Ivan "Navi" Emmanuel Gacho was announced to have passed away.
On RSG Philippines' Facebook post, the org mentioned: "It is with a heavy heart to share with you the passing of our good friend, Coach Ivan Emmanuel "NAVI" Gacho."
"You have brought a light that shone brightly in our lives and hearts. We will be forever grateful for all the time spent together and thank you for the wonderful memories you left with us."
"Sending our condolences to the family and loved ones of Coach Navi. The world has lost a truly special soul. Rest easy, our friend."
For Coach Navi, MDL is a new opportunity
Before he ended up coaching in the MDL for RSG Ignite's campaign, Coach Navi was once a player in the MPL, under Sterling Global Dragons back in Season 4.
Afterwards, his career remained a mystery until he revealed in an interview with Spin.ph that he ended up working in the BPO industry.
Given his passion for Mobile Legends, he decided to give coaching a shot, hence his arrival to RSG.
"Working ako sa BPO for six months tapos since napagtanto ko na passion ko talaga ang ML kaya triny ko, I’ll give it a shot one last time and ayun pinalad naman," said Gacho.
His return as a coach was his chance of proving himself.
"Well it feels good to be back nga, and Season 3 and 4 kase, hindi ko nakuha yung chance to prove myself sa MPL since I was a reserve so ang contribution ko lang that time is more on analyst lang and ngayon as a coach, I’ll do my best to make the team perform well sa MDL," he revealed prior to the start of the season.
And his past experiences served as an important reminder in his new journey.
"Like I always say nga, failure is the best teacher in life. So kung ano man yung pagkakamali mo before, take it as a lesson and gawin mo siyang isa sa mga lesson and knowledge na gagamitin mo sa tatahakin mong pathways," reflected Ivan.
In the MDL playoffs, Coach Ivan spearheaded RSG Ignite to a 5th-6th place finish. The team got eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Blacklist Academy.
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