Big Bang for the Invitational Champion
South Korean 'League of Legends' players reach the quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games. From left, Choi Woo-je, Jeong Ji-hoon, Seo Jin-hyuk and Park Jae-hyuk.
South Korea's "League of Legends" (ROL) team reached the semifinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sunday after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the best-of-three quarterfinals, 38 minutes into the match. South Korea's captain, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyuk (27-T1), known to Rol fans as Shin, did not play in the match.
Lee announced his retirement in July, saying he had been suffering from wrist pain for a long time. Again, he only played in one set during South Korea's four-set victory. In the other three sets, Jung "Chobi" Hoon (22-Zenji) was the starting mid.
After the quarterfinals, Lee "Chobi" Sang-hyuk, who appeared in the mix zone with a copy of The Illusion of Thinking, said, "The food in the athletes' village is delicious, so I'm eating healthy. I'm in good shape," he said, adding, "Today is not a high-tension game, so I came to the stadium relaxed." 'The Illusion of Thinking' is a book that explains the inner psychology of humans through neuroscience and cognitive psychology.
The semifinal, which kicks off at 10 a.m. on Aug. 28, is the most nerve-wracking match of the tournament for South Korea. They'll be facing China, a team they lost to in the final of the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. There were no medals on the line at that event, as esports, including ROL, was a demonstration event, not an official event. Between South Korea and China, two of the most dominant teams in the world, the winner of the semifinals will likely be crowned the inaugural Asian Games ROL champions.
Seo Jin-hyuk "Canavi" Seo (23-Jingdong), who had 21 of her team's 48 kills in the quarterfinals to lead her team to the semifinals, said, "We've been training for a month with the feeling that we're actually playing China. If we play with the belief that we've prepared well, we'll have enough of an advantage." 스포츠토토링크