logo
HomeBois riding high thanks to one voice, one language

HomeBois riding high thanks to one voice, one language

KUALA LUMPUR: Communication has been the driving force behind HomeBois' stunning unbeaten run in the current Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) season.
Alongside Selangor Red Giants (SRG. OG), HomeBois are one of just two teams with perfect series records.
The only difference being that HomeBois dropped a single game across their four best-of-three matches.
It's a remarkable turnaround from last season, when they finished seventh and missed the playoffs entirely.
A sweeping roster overhaul during the off-season saw only midlaner Irwandy "Izanami" Lim and Ikmal Hakimy "Eyymal" Azemy retained from last year's squad.
New faces include Kenley Nathaniel "Vell" Zefanya (on loan from Indonesia's Evos Icon), Vincent Ivan "Ivann" Adrianto (Evos Holy), and Adam "Melqt" Hamidun (Team Rey).
Irwandy credits improved communication as a key factor behind their strong start, especially with the addition of Indonesian players.
"Last season, we had Filipino imports, so we used English in our comms. That led to miscommunication and costly mistakes," said the Sabahan after their 2-0 win over Team Rey on Saturday.
"This year, it's much smoother. We're all speaking one language — Bahasa — and that really helps."
HomeBois are focused on maintaining momentum with crucial matches against Todak, Team Vamos and SRG. OG on the horizon.
Week 3 of MPL MY began on Friday, with Aero Esports breezing past bottom-placed Ocean Black (OB) 2-0, while Vamos edged DX Soul 2-1.
On Saturday, HomeBois extended their unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win over Team Rey, and SRG. OG continued their dominance with a 2-0 triumph over Todak. Monster Vicious (MV) capped the day by blanking JP Niners 2-0.
Sunday saw DX Soul bounce back with a 2-0 win over Aero, and JP Niners finally claimed their first win by beating OB 2-0.
The week concluded with Vamos staging a comeback to edge MV 2-1.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Malaysian shuttlers eye historic double world titles in Paris
Malaysian shuttlers eye historic double world titles in Paris

New Straits Times

timea day ago

  • New Straits Times

Malaysian shuttlers eye historic double world titles in Paris

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could be in for a bumper outing at next month's Badminton World Championships in Paris — with not one but two world titles within reach, based on current form and World Tour stats. In men's doubles, world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are leading the charge. The 2022 world champions have consistently delivered at major events since their Olympic bronze in Tokyo, and remain Malaysia's best hope of striking gold again. But there's excitement brewing on the women's front too. Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, the new world No. 2 pair, have been gathering serious momentum. The Thailand Open champions — who also finished runners-up in Indonesia and Japan, and made the China Open semis — are now poised to break China's long-standing grip on the women's doubles crown. Should they succeed, Pearly-Thinaah will carve their names in history as Malaysia's first women's doubles world champions. It won't be a solo mission in the men's doubles either. Malaysia also boast depth, with world No. 4 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin and world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun adding firepower. Between the three pairs, they've already shared six titles this season — Aaron-Wooi Yik with three, Wei Chong-Kai Wun two, and Sze Fei-Izzuddin one. All three pairings have reached at least one final in each of their last seven tournaments — a testament to their consistency and hunger. Their biggest obstacle? The in-form world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea, who have bagged five titles this year. But with no strong second pair in sight, the pressure could mount for the Koreans in the French capital. Malaysia, on the other hand, hold an ace — coaching maestro Herry IP. Dubbed the "Magician", the legendary Indonesian has produced multiple world champions and now heads Malaysia's doubles project at BAM. Still, there are questions after Aaron-Wooi Yik's shock loss to scratch Indonesian duo Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri in Sunday's China Open final. But it's not unusual for top pairs to ease off slightly before a major. A win in China may have only added pressure ahead of Paris. As it stands, mind games are in full swing, and Aaron-Wooi Yik will lean on Herry's calming influence and his famed "no lifting" mantra to stay grounded. In women's doubles, Pearly-Thinaah are flying under the radar — and that may work to their advantage. They'll head to Paris as second seeds, avoiding a clash with world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning until the final. But the odds aren't all in their favour — they trail Sheng Shu-Tan Ning 9-3 in past meetings, and also have a 4-1 deficit against world No. 6 Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian. Still, with the right mindset and peak fitness, Pearly-Thinaah could whip up a storm in Paris and lead Malaysia to a historic breakthrough on the women's front.

Filipino Aguinaldo ready to strengthen Brunei's backline
Filipino Aguinaldo ready to strengthen Brunei's backline

The Star

timea day ago

  • The Star

Filipino Aguinaldo ready to strengthen Brunei's backline

PETALING JAYA: Six years ago, Filipino centreback Amani Aguinaldo ( pic ) left a lasting impression in the Malaysian Super League with his tenacious performances for now-defunct PKNP, even as the team suffered relegation. His aggressive, no-nonsense defending caught the eye of many, and it wasn't long before Malaysian clubs came calling. However, instead of staying put, Aguinaldo opted for a new challenge in Thailand. Over the next few years, he became a familiar face in Thai football, turning out for clubs like Trat (2020-2021 and 2023-2024), Nongbua Pitchaya (2021-2022), Nakhon Ratchasima (2022-2023), and PTT Rayong (2024-2025). Now, the 30-year-old is back in the Malaysian top flight, this time with guest team Brunei. Under the guidance of English coach Jamie McAllister, Aguinaldo is expected to anchor the defence and bring leadership to the backline. Having been with the team for over two weeks, Aguinaldo is already settling in well and embracing the challenge ahead. 'It's been a good experience so far, and I'm happy to be here,' said Aguinaldo, who boasts 67 international caps for the Philippines. 'As a footballer, I'm always looking to grow, and Brunei have given me a great platform to do that. 'The set-up is professional, the standards are high, and the players are motivated. It's the perfect environment for a team looking to achieve something.' 'My role is simple: give my best every day, whether in training or matches. I want to help the team grow and succeed together,' he added. Alongside Aguinaldo, Brunei have included Brazilian centreback Jordan Rodrigues, goalkeeper Michel Dos Santos, and midfielder Kaio Santos; Macedonian goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski, Portuguese midfielder Miguel Oliveira, Indonesian striker Ramadhan Sananta, and Ghanaian midfielder Prosper Boakye.

Yew Sin-Ee Yi suffer early exit in Macau
Yew Sin-Ee Yi suffer early exit in Macau

The Star

timea day ago

  • The Star

Yew Sin-Ee Yi suffer early exit in Macau

PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi's recent run of good results came to a halt after the pair crashed out of the Macau Open. Yew Sin-Ee Yi were hoping to continue their encouraging form after making it into the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Japan Open and China Open respectively over the past two weeks but were left disappointed after narrowly going down 15-21, 21-16, 21-23 to Indonesia's Rahmat Hidayat-Yeremia Rambitan in the first round at the Macau East Asian Games Dome yesterday. It was also heartbreak for world junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing after the duo lost 17-21, 16-21 to another Indonesian pair and top seeds Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza. There were better fortunes though for Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi when they defeated China's Ren Xiangyu-Sun Wenjun 21-15, 21-16. Meanwhile, in the women's doubles, Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee easily overcame India's Apoorva Gahlawat-Sakshi Gahlawat 21-8, 21-11 and will take on the winners of the all-Taiwanese clash between Lin Chih-chun-Lin Wan-ching and Chen Yu-hsuen-Liu Chiao-yun next. Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting, though, suffered an early exit after losing 13-21, 11-21 to Americans Lauren Lam-Allison Lee. Promising youngsters Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu also made a good start in their World Tour debut by making it into the main draw after beating Taiwan's Chou Yun-an-Huang Le Xin 21-17, 21-17 in the qualifying round. Dania-Zi Yu showed great resilience by bouncing back quickly after their disappointing quarter-final exit in the recent Asian Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia. 'We are very excited to compete in our first World Tour competition,' said Dania. 'We never expected to qualify for this tournament as our rankings are still quite low. So, we are looking forward to playing against higher ranked pairs in the main draw.' Dania-Zi Yu are currently ranked 211th in the world and have a tougher task in the first round against Japan's world No. 63 Kaho Osawa-Mai Tanabe. Joining them in the main draw are Cheng Su Hui-Tan Zhing Yi, who had to dig deep to come away with a 21-14, 15-21, 21-15 win over Japan's Ririna Hiramoto-Kokona Ishikawa. Su Hui-Zhing Yi will next face Taiwan's Chen Su-yu-Hsieh Yi-en for a place in the quarter-finals. In the mixed doubles, Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse set-up an all-Malaysian first round clash against Loo Bing Kun-Pei Kee after coming out on top over Taiwan's Cheng Kai-wen-Liu Chiao-yun 21-8, 17-21, 21-17 in the qualifying round. RESULTS ( Malaysians Only ) Qualifying round Women's doubles: Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu bt Chou Yun-anHuang (Tpe) Le Xin 21-17, 21-17; Cheng Su Hui-Tan Zhing Yi bt Ririna Hiramoto-Kokona Ishikawa (Jpn) 21-14, 15-21, 21-15. Mixed doubles: Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse bt Cheng Kai-wen-Liu Chiao-yun (Tpe) 21-8, 17-21, 21-17. First round Men's doubles: Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi bt Ren XiangyuSun Wenjun (Chn) 21-15, 21-16; Rahmat Hidayat-Yeremia Rambitan (Ina) bt Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-15, 16-21, 23-21, Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza (Ina) bt Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing 21-17, 21-16. Women's doubles: Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee bt Apoorva Gahlawat-Sakshi Gahlawat (Ind) 21-8, 21-11; Lauren Lam-Allison Lee (US) bt Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting 21-13, 21-11

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store