MANILA, Philippines – Before venturing into esports, Vincent “Pandora” Unigo focused on getting good grades, making it to his school’s basketball varsity team, and fulfilling his dream of becoming an engineer.
“Yung buhay ko dati bago ako mag esports, academic achiever ako. Naka-focus lang talaga ako s a grades ko, mine-maintain ko na mataas ang grades ko. Varsity rin ako noong high school, sa basketball,” Unigo recalled in an interview with members of the Philippine Esports Press Corps.
All that changed when he and his cousins tried their hand at esports, travelling to far areas until eventually forming a team to compete in Mobile Legends Bang Bang.
“Dumadayo talaga kami, nakakalaban namin yung mga pro players ng League of Legends dati. Pero saktuhan lang kami doon, mga top 2 lang yata pinakamataas namin. Yung squad namin, K10 Gaming, magpipinsan kami doon, nag-season po kaming limang magpipinsan sa Mobile Legends,” shared Unigo.
Included in the team is Unigo’s cousin and AP Bren’s roamer Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo.
At the time of his stint with K10 Gaming, life had been rough for Unigo, and these challenges helped him become the player he is today.
“Umabot kami sa point na parang pahirap na kami. Pero hindi kami nag-give up ng brother ko as a team, magka-team kasi kami at esports player din siya. Nag-focus at nagtiwala kami sa Mobile Legends,” added Unigo.
From K10 Gaming, Unigo would move to SV Empire until he signed with then BREN Esports back in 2022 . He would then recommend his cousin for the roamer role and would join the team months later.
And while AP Bren exchanged their usual team colors of yellow and black for red, white and blue as they played under the banner of the country’s national esports team Sibol, Unigo took a step back to allow his teammates to grow as a roster while they competed around the globe in multiple tournaments.
“Noong unang nag-compete kami for Sibol, na-gets ko nang hindi na talaga ako makakapaglaro, kasi kailangan din nila eh. Saka yung scenario na ganoon, na if ever ako maglaro [sa MPL], tapos biglang nanalo, sabi ko mahihirapan lang din sila sa Sibol,” shared Unigo.
Though he was not part of the national team, he was able to fly with them as Sibol competed in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia last year.
He adds, “Hindi ko siya tine-take na parang masama o masakit sakin kasi parang, nandoon naman yung pinsan ko tsaka yung team ko, part pa rin naman nila ako. Pinakagusto ko kay Boss Jab Escutin kasi sinagot niya yung pang-Cambodia ko noon para suportahan yung SEA Games. Hindi talaga nila ako nakalimutan.”
That sense of camaraderie is what Unigo believes is the biggest lesson he learned throughout his esports career.
“Kahit sobrang galing mo, sobrang talented mo, kung hindi ka marunong makisama sa mga tao sa paligid mo, hindi lang sa teammates mo kundi pati na rin sa mga taong nakakausap mo, mabilis ka lang din mawawala,” shared Unigo.
Unigo and AP Bren ended the regular season of the current MPL Philippines as top seed and will have an upper bracket advantage in the playoffs slated from May 22-26 at SM Southmall.
IMOLA, Italy – Max Verstappen will aim to recover and put his friend Lando Norris back in his place among the chasing pack this weekend as Formula One returns to Europe for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The three-time world champion, who leads this year’s title race for Red Bull, knows however that after suffering two defeats in six season-opening races he may be vulnerable and McLaren’s Norris will be armed with upgrades as he seeks to add to his popular maiden triumph in Miami.
Most if not all teams will bring revised cars for the seventh race of the season with Ferrari and Mercedes both hoping to reduce Verstappen’s advantage at the cramped and atmospheric circuit set in the rolling vineyards of Ferrari’s Italian heartland.
Three decades after the blackest F1 weekend in modern times, when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna were killed on successive days at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the sport will also pay tributes and remember that bleak May weekend.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly will wear a race helmet repainted in yellow to remember Senna while retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel is set to drive the Brazilian’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8 car at the track on Sunday morning.
Verstappen, however, will keep it all simple as he seeks to repeat Red Bull’s success at Imola in 2022 when he led teammate Sergio Perez home in a convincing one-two triumph.
The race was called off last year due to flooding, but in kinder weather it is expected to launch a run of six races in eight weeks as the 24-race championship enters a key period.
“Imola is an iconic track to race at and we are excited to be back after last year’s race was cancelled,” said Verstappen, who leads the title race with 136 points ahead of Perez on 103.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has 98 points with Norris on 83 level with Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari.
“We have had some great team results here and it’s always interesting to race at a really old-school track like this – very technical, with complex combinations and breaking zones.
“The team has been working hard and I’ve been at the factory to work in the simulator. We’re looking forward to this.”
Red Bull may be wary of the threat from several rival teams after a difficult opening period of the year beset by controversies including the recent confirmation that technical chief Adrian Newey is to leave.
Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff, however, stressed that despite a major upgrade package his team, who are without a podium finish this season, are not yet ready to threaten the leaders.
“We’re a quarter of the way through the season,” he said.
“The first six races have not been straightforward for us, but we do have a clear understanding of where we need to improve.
“It will be several races before we see this bear fruit, but everyone is working hard to bring the improvements as soon as is possible.”
For Mercedes’ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, this weekend will mark his first racing appearance in Italy since Ferrari announced they had signed him for 2025.
As an adopted Brazilian and a fan of Senna — and Ferrari — since childhood, Hamilton is one of the few drivers old enough to remember watching Senna and is sure to experience an emotional weekend.
Vettel, another of the older generation prompted to make a brief comeback, said: “Ayrton Senna was not only a driver who I valued highly for being one of the best racing has ever seen, but also a man of great compassion.
“It’s been 30 years since his accident and I want to pay tribute to Ayrton.”