Jet "Bornok" Amorsolo officially made his first appearance in the MPL Philippines as he filled Jayson "UK1R" Alupit’s role as mid laner momentarily, but RSG Philippines claimed victory in the first game, spoiling his debut. But how did Bornok find his way to Smart Omega?
From humble beginnings of borrowing a neighbor's smartphone to playing in the professional esports stage, Bornok followed in the footsteps of Smart Omega's captain and his brother Joshua "Ch4knu" Mangilog.
As Bornok showcased his skills during live stream sessions with Ch4knu, he did not realize that this would pave the way for his talent to be discovered and his future as a professional esports player.
“We saw his potential. He’s always live on Ch4knu’s page before. Me myself, I saw that he can play different roles, meaning his hero pool is fairly huge. It’s really easy to level up the discipline of the player and the skills. His attitude is really good as well. He’s a really good follower,” Smart Omega data analyst Allec Monsseur “SN4P” Alvarado said.
Gearing up against the Raiders, Smart Omega had been strategizing all along to bring the rising star to the test and observe what he can bring to the table.
“Last week, from Monday to this day, Bornok has been playing with us in scrims. Half Riku (UK1R) and half Bornok. So he knows what he’s really doing. Tried him for the first game and see how far he is from being a pro player,” SN4P revealed.
Playing on the main stage
Bornok came off the bench and stepped up without feeling the weight of pressure against RSG Philippines with his brother by his side.
“Masaya po. Ano lang po, ingat lang po sa mid. Una shove ng minion wave, tapos sa positioning po,” Bornok said, listing down the in-game reminders that Ch4knu provided.
“Masarap naman po sa feeling na kapag nandoon ka sa stage parang mas less pressure kapag kasama mo siya (Ch4knu),” he added.
Although his debut did not go as planned, Bornok appreciated the chance to showcase his abilities on the main stage, despite returning to the bench for the subsequent matches.
“Siya (UK1R) naman po talaga yung main five. Thankful pa nga po ako, kasi nakapaglaro pa po ako. Nagpaubaya pa po siya nung first game,” Bornok expressed.
Meanwhile, Ch4knu also acknowledged the potential that Bonrok displayed during practices and considered that he’s still in his rookie season.
“Kulang lang sa experience kasi sa mga practice namin may na pu-pull off siya. May mga game din kaming panalo. Kulang lang sa experience sa stage,” Ch4knu commented.
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