Sibol enters Identity V quarterfinals

NAGOYA—The Philippine esports team Sibol bounced back from a one-set deficit to overcome Indonesia, 2-1, and secure a spot in the quarterfinal round of the Identity V event at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday at the Aichi Sky Expo.

Rallying behind key plays from Johanne Juico and Joshua Gumaro, the seven-man Filipino squad dropped the opening set before dominating the next two with scores of 3-5, 5-3, and 7-2.

Sibol clinched qualification with a 1-2 record in Group A, surviving an initial rough stretch that saw them fall 0-2 to Thailand and drop their opener against Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s squad, led by Daffa Arafan, was eliminated after three straight losses.

Joining the Philippines from Group A in the quarterfinal round are Thailand and Chinese Taipei. Advance qualifiers from Group B include Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Sibol takes on Group B contender Malaysia in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.