Napakahirap at napakahaba ng naging paglalakbay ni Brian “Coach Panda” Lim pabalik sa rurok ng Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines.
Maraming pinagdaanang pagsubok ang head coach ng RSG PH bago niya nakamit ang kanyang pangalawang kampeonato sa ika-siyam na season ng pinakamalaking liga ng MOBA esports title ng Moonton sa bansa.
Kwento pa nga ni Coach Panda, muntik na niyang lisanin ang Pilipinas noon kung hindi dahil sa pagmamahal niya sa Mobile Legends at sa mga taong nakilala niya sa komunidad nito.
Coach Panda: ‘I’m really happy that I stayed here in PH’
Bilang isang full-blooded South Korean na biochemical engineering graduate at walang kakilala dito sa Pilipinas, naisipan umano ni Coach Panda na umalis na lang ng Pilipinas. Pero binago ng Mobile Legends ang kanyang pasya at siyempre ang kanyang buhay.
“Honestly, if it was not for ML and if it wasn’t for me starting coaching here in the Philippines, I would have left the Philippines a very long time ago because wala akong friends and family eh,” kwento ng 29-year-old-mentor. “But getting into ML, I met many people and then they became my family.”
Nakapasok siya sa MPL Philippines noong Season 2 bilang manlalaro ng ArkAngel Wicked Minds matapos nilang pagharian ang unang qualifier. Nagtapos sila sa 7th-8th place sa kanilang unang pagsabak sa liga.
Pagdating ng Season 3 ay nag-transition na siya sa coaching. Kinailangan nila Coach Panda at ArkAngel na dumaan muna sa closed qualifier bago makabalik sa liga. At nang makapasok na, ginabayan niya ang koponan hanggang sa masungkit ang kampeonato laban sa powerhouse na Bren Esports sa grand finals.
Ngunit naging matamlay ang laruan ng ArkAngel pagsapit ng Season 4 at matapos matanggal sa liga ay napagdesisyunan nilang mag-disband. Bagamat nanalo pa ng gold medal si Coach Panda kasama ang SIBOL sa Southeast Asian Games 2019, tila nawalan ng sigla ang mentor dahil sa pagkakakalas ng kanyang koponan.
Matapos magpahinga ng dalawang seasons, nakabalik si Coach Panda sa MPL nang iorkestra niya ang kampanya ng Laus Playbook Esports sa qualifier. Subalit marami silang hinarap na problema kaya maaga silang na-eliminate sa liga at nag-disband din sa pagtatapos ng season.
“In Season 7, I was with LPE. But due to COVID and other things, we didn’t really have a good performance.”
Sa Season 8 umano talagang nanumbalik ang motibasyon ni Coach Panda na magsimula ng panibagong yugto sa kanyang karera bilang MLBB coach nang kuhain siya ng RSG PH. “In Season 8, it was actually the first time that I really had passion again to start. Of course I had passion din in Season 7 but everything was complete for me in Season 8 — the players, the management, the bootcamp, who I’m going to work with and how I want to work.”
Bagamat maagang natanggal ang RSG sa playoffs, alam ng respetadong coach na parte ito ng kanilang paglalakbay patungo sa kanilang goal. “Coming to Season 9, we already faced all the struggles sa Season 8 so I feel like we’re ready na.”
At nakuha nga nila Coach Panda at RSG ang pinapangarap nilang kampeonato, dagdag pa ang natanggap niyang matamis na oo nang mag-propose siya sa kanyang long-time partner. Kaya naman napakasaya niya na tama ang naging desisyon niya na manatili sa Pilipinas.
“I’m really happy that I stayed here in PH because if it was not for ML, if I didn’t have that much passion, I wouldn’t be this proud and feel like everything that I worked for everyday is actually a reward for me pala.”
Malaki rin ang pasasalamat ni coach sa nasa taas. “One more thing I want to say is that, before, everyday for me was just paulit-ulit. But ever since Season 9, I started praying to God, na when I wake up I say, ‘God thank you for giving me another day, thank you for having to live this moment where I can be with my players, enjoy what I can do and be with the best people I can have.'”
“And still right now, I think it’s not just the result of hard work, but also God has helped me a lot when I was really struggling. So, I’m really thankful for everything that happened to me. And I’m going to stay that way everyday from now on.”
Ang repleksyon ni Coach Panda mula sa mga mapapait na karanasan niya
Malaki rin ang naging impact ng pagbabago sa mentalidad ng Korean tactician. Kung noong nag-i-struggle siya ay panay siya reklamo, ngayon ang pananaw niya ay lagi nang nakatuon sa positibo.
“I just feel like everything happens for a reason. Before when I didn’t know that, I felt like this sucks, malas, I’m just hit by bad luck or I don’t have what I need. I keep complaining everyday when it all went downwards especially when COVID happened because there was not much freedom with what I wanted to do regarding the team.”
“But like I said, Season 9 was a new opening for me. Season 8 was a preparation period. When Season 9 started, I told myself, it’s okay lang, everything happens for a reason. We lose, then sige bawi na lang, bounce back.”
Ang positibong “Panda mentality” na ito ang itinanim niya rin sa isipan ng kanyang mga manlalaro sa RSG. “That’s the mindset I always have. And then all these players have this positive motto called, ‘Positive vibes no matter what.’ Positive energy. And that’s what we implement.”
Sa dami ng pinagdaanan niyang mapapait na karanasan, napagtanto ni Coach Panda na lahat ng ito ay may dahilan.
“Now I know that all those bad things for two years or three years, it was meant to happen because I was a negative person. And because I struggled with those things already and now I’m a bagong person, I think God has given me another opportunity to get what I want.”
“As my father told me before, ‘Everyone has a chance. But success only comes to those people who are ready when that chance comes. And I was not ready for all those two to three years. Sana, when the chance comes right now, once I’m ready, I can get that success.'”
Naging handa nga si Coach Panda sa pagdating muli ng tagumpay niya sa MPL PH. At hindi lang iyan, makakabalik din siya sa Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) para muling ibandera ang Pilipinas matapos ang tatlong taon.
Para sa mga istorya patungkol sa MPL PH at MLBB, pwede niyong i-like at i-follow ang ONE Esports Philippines sa Facebook.
