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| OG makes history in The International 2019 in Shanghai, China as the first team to defend the Aegis of Champions and become two-time back-to-back champions taking home more than any top Wimbledon player in the planet. (Image Source: Engadget.com via STR/AFP/Getty Images) |
Thousands
of gaming enthusiasts in the Philippines were able to enjoy and indulge on
every single piece of world-class DOTA 2 action that has been taken place in
one of the most highly-anticipated professional gaming events in the world
every year, The International, on their television sets, PCs and even mobile
devices through a wide comprehensive coverage brought to them by ABS-CBN
Sports, the leading sports authority in the country, via the online streaming
service iWant and eGG Network on Cignal TV, the leading nationwide pay TV
provider.
Held
last August 20-25, 2019 in Shanghai, China, Filipino DOTA 2 fans and gamers were
able to witness a spectacle filled with memorable moments that have kept them
glued all throughout the competition. They even have a chance to support the
all-Filipino DOTA 2 team TNC Predator and the Southeast Asian team Mineski on
their TI9 journey from the group stage all the way to the main event. TNC garnered
enough wins and losses to secure a spot in the main bracket only to be defeated
by Vici Gaming and Team Liquid in the first two days of the main stage, while
Mineski is proudly struggling to fight its way on the loser's bracket but not
enough to move on and relegating to a 9th-12th place finish.
Though
many local gamers were a bit saddened about how their players lost to some of the
world's best, it is interesting for them to know that the Philippines continues
to become stronger every time its pride is competing in the global stage such
as The International and is striving to do better in the upcoming 2019 Southeast
Asian Games where eSports becomes an official medal sport. One big bonus that
is literally a delightful surprise is that one of the so-called 'modern living
legends' of Philippine eSports, TNC's TIMS, has been chosen as among those who were
slated to compete in The International All-Star Game though many are not happy
at how he was handled by his all-star teammates from different teams.
Anyway,
The International 2019 concluded with last year's champions OG making history
as the first team in the prestigious event to defend the championship and
become two-time champions which will be remembered in the eSports books. OG manhandled
Team Liquid in the finals in convincing fashion with the score of 3-1 and
secured not only the Aegis of Champions but also a grand cash prize of US$15
million. Will there be another mark in the decade-long history of the world's
most exciting professional gaming spectacle when The International comes to
Stockholm, Sweden in 2020? For now, in case you missed what is happening on
TI9, you can now relive everything on DOTA 2's official YouTube channel here.
