South Korean powerhouse T1 on Sunday swept aside China’s Weibo Gaming to clinch a record fourth League of Legends (LoL) World Championship, widely considered the Super Bowl of e-sports.
T1 won three straight games in the best-of-five final at the Gocheok Sky Dome stadium in Seoul, roared on by a capacity crowd of 18,000.
Legions of fans descended on Seoul for the final of the world championship, which has rapidly grown since the first edition in 2011 into one of the crown jewels of the billion-dollar global e-sports industry.
Photo: AFP
Fireworks went off as T1 members lifted the trophy, bouncing in a huddle as the crowd chanted: “T1, T1, T1.”
“More than anything, I am very grateful that I was able to play in front of so many people,” said T1’s Faker, a superstar gamer hailed as the Michael Jordan of e-sports.
Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, has now won a record four world titles and, aged 27, is also the oldest player to clinch the biggest prize in League of Legends.
Photo: AFP
He has celebrity status in gaming-mad South Korea, and gets a rockstar reception at public appearances.
The victory marked a dominant run at the world championship for T1, who were looking to bounce back after losing in the final in San Francisco last year.
“It feels unreal right now, it feels like a dream,” said T1’s Keria, whose real name is Ryu Min-seok.
The crowd, including many dressed as characters from League of Legends, witnessed a glitzy ceremony before the final that included a performance by K-pop stars NewJeans.
Thousands also gathered at a fan zone set up in central Seoul to watch the match, which was also screened live at more than 40 cinemas across South Korea.
In Beijing, hundreds of fans attended a viewing party at the Communication University of China.
“Watching the competition with so many ... it feels really great,” said student Pang Jian, a Weibo Gaming supporter. “I’ve shouted so much that my voice is gone.”
Viewing parties were also held in Vietnam.
“I am a fan of Faker... He is my idol,” 26-year-old Nguyen Minh Duc said at a sports complex in Hanoi where 2,000 fans watched the final.
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
RSS