IT WAS BACK IN the year 2017, when Kenneth "Flysolo" Coloma was part of a historical moment in Philippine Dota 2, when Clutch Gamers was involved in The Manila Masters.
For Flysolo this was his chance to finally prove that he belongs in the elite talent pool in Dota 2 as he faced two notable teams in Invictus Gaming and Team Faceless.
But the end result wasn't favorable for Coloma as his team got booted out in the early rounds, far from the usual rising underdog tale that is normally associated with Philippine Dota 2 teams.
And with Dota 2 teams around the world becoming more competitive, the usual grit-and-grind behavior in the SEA region wasn't enough. Flysolo ended up bouncing around numerous teams.
Then came a career ending moment, the pandemic.
Switching to Mobile Legends
"Pandemic kasi noon e, 2020. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko sa buhay. Kumbaga, aalis na ba ako sa esports or hindi?" reflected Flysolo in an exclusive with SPIN.ph.
In an exclusive interview with Jeremiah Sevilla, formerly from Manila Bulletin, Flysolo revealed that there were no sponsors supporting his Dota 2 team and it was also explained that he was given the opportunity to play abroad, which was denied due to the crisis.
With nowhere else to go, it was time for Coloma to make the switch. It was no easy task as Coloma was forced to transition from a PC game to a mobile device.
"Saktong sikat yung ML sa Pilipinas so nag-switch na lang ako ng esports sa ML. Masakit sa kamay, mahirap," he said to SPIN.ph.
He tried his luck as a professional player, but it seems age has gotten the best of him. After a brief stint with ECHO PH, he decided to transition as a head coach.
He was given an opportunity with an Indonesian MDL squad, Pendekar Esports.
"Syempre kapag tumatanda ka na, hindi ka na makakasabay sa mechanics ng mga players so ang 2nd option ko talaga maging coach. Sobrang dati kong pinag-isipan na gusto ko talagang tumulong sa mga kabataan na ma-achieve yung right way.
He added: "Noong naghahanap ako ng team na iko-coach sa Whatsapp. Ki-nontact ako ng owner doon. Sabi ko, 'Maganda naman sa Indonesia so I'll give it a try."
A near death experience
But if there was one moment in his coaching career that changed him, it would have to be that experience when he encountered an accident that nearly killed him.
En route to the MDL venue, where Pendekar Esports was about to clash against A8 Pabz, Flysolo was involved in a massive vehicular accident.
He thought his life was over, but a miracle gave him a second chance, something that he'll be forever grateful for.
"Actually talagang deads na ako noon e. So parang napasalamat ako sa Panginoon kasi binigyan ako ng 2nd life. Lahat ng pagkakamali ko dati, tinatama ko na siya. Hanggang ngayon nagpapasalamat ako kung anong mga blessing na natatanggap ko."
Moving to Deus Vult
And one of those blessings came through Deus Vult. Upon returning to the Philippines, Flysolo was given a chance to take his talents in a region where the hype in MLBB was nonexistent.
"Noong September yun sakto galing akong Indonesia, pumunta akong Pilipinas. May nag-post na coach ng Pilipinas na naghahanap siya ng coach and ayun ni-recommend ako as a coach then nag-tryout na lang ako kung goods ako sa kanila."
As a veteran esports journey man, Flysolo is used to the constant switch of teams, hence he never felt out of place or homesick in his new environment.
The near death experience he had, molded his personality and coaching habits in Deus Vult.
It was time to say goodbye to the old Flysolo.
"Yung mga bad habit, kumbaga mag-inom, lahat ng toxic na ginawa ko as a player noon, sayang yung mga time instead na mag-focus sa paglalaro."
He further explained: "Kaya lahat ng experience na nangyari sa buhay ko, pinapa-experience or pinapaintindi ko sa kanila na ganito dapat yung gawin niyo para ma-achieve mo yung mga gusto niyong ma-achieve."
To further motivate him was the overall atmosphere in Europe. Given that EECA isn't blessed with the high tier talent of Southeast Asia, Coloma made a lot of sacrifices to ensure that his new team would succeed.
The many sleepless nights
With the M5 looming nearby, Flysolo slept around 2-3 hours to make his preparations.
"Tulog, tsaka yung health ko. Instead na nakatutok ako sa health ko, nagfo-focus ako sa game."
And those sleepless nights were worth it as Coloma and Deus Vult defied everyones expectations and finished 4th overall in the M5 World Championship, the highest achievement from a European club.
"Actually na-impress ako sa kanila. Sobrang saya na nakarating kami sa top 4, kumbaga nakagulat kami kahit papaano," he narrated.
But before he could achieve such a feat, Coloma had to assess his team's strengths and weaknesses.
"Sa Deus Vult, hindi kasi marami masyadong players doon e. Medyo nahirapan sila sa disiplina, sa macro and micro, so I hope na next year mabago na nila you."
All of these brewing pains and all of the sacrifices done were all something that he loved, especially knowing that the dreams and hopes of a region are under his hands.
"Kung mahal mo talaga yung trabaho mo, gagawin mo at gagawin mo kahit wala kang tulog e para lang may mairarating yung mga players."
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