SIBOL Pokémon UNITE team seized a spot in the semifinals and secured at least a bronze medal after sweeping Hong Kong, 2-0, at Aichi Sky Expo on Sunday in the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
The Philippines will now battle Group B top seed Indonesia in the semis later Sunday, with a spot in the gold medal match at stake.
READ: SIBOL seeks Asiad breakthrough with battle-tested Pokémon UNITE team
SIBOL wasted little time making its presence felt, taking control from the opening minutes, as Robert Mempin’s Darkrai powered them to a commanding 576-80 victory in Game 1.
Mempin racked up 230 points, four knockouts, and four assists to lead the Filipinos with an 87 performance rating, while Lawrence Gatmaitan’s Crustle added 211 points, three knockouts, and six assists.
HK refused to go quietly in Game 2, but SIBOL kept its foot on the gas and once again pulled away, closing out the series with a 576-207 victory.
This time, Ducke Leoncio took the spotlight.
Leoncio’s Mew unleashed 71,672 damage, as the Philippines relentlessly broke through Hong Kong’s defenses, finishing with 129 points, four knockouts, and five assists.
More importantly, the victory assured SIBOL of its first-ever esports medal in the Asiad.
It was a remarkable turnaround for the Filipinos, who began their campaign with a forfeiture against Kazakhstan following a uniform mishap.
Rather than let the setback derail its run, SIBOL responded with victories over Chinese Taipei and Malaysia to finish atop Pool A at 2-1.
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