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Singapore’s MSK_Poseidon raising the bar for local PUBG esports scene

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6 years ago

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Esports is a fast growing sector of sports and Singapore is not being left behind. In April, a group of gamers who call themselves MSK_Poseidon became the only Singaporean team to qualify for the PUBG Australia Invitational 2018, placing 7th our of 20 teams. In June, they were crowned champions at the PUBG SEA Championship Tournament.

Most recently in August, two of MSK_Poseidon’ members, MSK_Chrysania and MSK_DjLol placed 1st overall beating out 45 other teams from around Asia in the PUBG Broadcaster Royal Open Duos Final – Asia. This win set them up as rising stars in the field and put them on a course for the Broadcaster Royale which will be held on 9th August to 3rd September in Seattle with a total prize pool of USD300,000. MSK_Poseidon will be the only team bearing the Singapore flag in this grand final, battling against the top 10 teams from Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America.

So who are MSK_Poseidon? Well, they were founded by two gamers, MSK_Jingu (Kim Hyun-jun) and MSK_Josh (Joshua Lee Jun Wei) in January 2018. The original roster of four included the two founders as well as to more games, Chipster and Flewychan. Now, MSK Poseidon comprises of MSK_Jingu, MSK_Josh, MSK_Chrysania (Chin Yu Zhe) and MSK_DjLol (Ch’ng Wai Kit Wesley).

Why MSK Posiedon? Wesley tells us, “we had initially planned to have multiple teams representing MSK. E.g. MSK Poseidon, MSK Hades, MSK Zeus –the three brothers/gods in Greek Mythology. MSK stands for Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, the countries of origin of the initial 4 players in the MSK roster”. Now the roster is made up of one Korean (MSK_Jingu) and three Singaporeans.

The team members met while competing in locally hosted esport tournaments, each of them in different teams. But after a few public matches, the founder realised felt a chemistry and synergy and to they decided to form a team. They started playing in tournaments together and eventually qualified for their first international tournament, the PUBG SEA. Winning this tournament pushed them to continue playing together and work for more wins.

How does it feel to be competing on an international level as an eSports player?

“While we aren’t exactly defined as eSports players, as we are not a proper established organisation with sponsorships etc., it feels great to be renowned as one of the best teams in Asia. Hopefully we can perform well and let other regions know about us too!” – Wesley

It’s safe to say that when competing at an international level, sacrifices have to be made and esports is no different. The team has to put in a lot of time to train not just in the games they’re competing it but also in how they work together. But when it’s a passion, you do everything you can to pursue it.

“I would say my team and I would definitely give up everything if we could to play this game full-time as it is our passion (…)So far, our parents have been quite supportive of our dedication towards the game, with the exception of Kim Hyun-jun’s parents. Nonetheless, our parents still have some reservations on whether or not eSports can be a viable career path or a fruitful way to spend our time.” – Wesley

Of course, family support is just one challenge these young players face. Singapore’s esports scene is still extremely small, so there are limited opportunities for teams like this to attain official sponsorship. Even for a game as large as PUBG (which is MSK’s battleground) with almost 1 million active players daily, it has yet to receive the same kind of support from organisers or the government as MOBA games like DOTA.

For instance, the first official ASEAN League of Legends tournament, Hyperplay, was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture Community and Youth and the National Youth Counci. The local PUBG scene, MSK tells us, has yet to see that same kind of support.

Like any emerging sporting event, however, it takes time and MSK Poseidon is pushing through and doing what they can to raise the profile of eports in general but also PUBG specifically.

What is something about eSports that you wish more people knew?

“I wish that eSports will be recognized as an official category of sports. This is because people who watch an official DOTA 2 (The International) tournament will experience the same kind of thrill and excitement as those who watch the FIFA World Cup. Additionally, sports like football bring pride to a nation’s countrymen with every goal scored by its players. The same can be said for any achievements and accolades earned by local eSports players. For instance, some Singaporean gamers have reached out to my team to tell us they are proud we have put Singapore on the map for eSports.” – Wesley

MSK_Poseidon are blazing a trail that hopefully many others will follow once they see that it’s a viable and exciting journey. We’d like to wish them luck in Seattle next week!

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Singapore

Soh Rui Yong sets new national road mile record with 4:30 finish at Westminster Mile in London

Soh Rui Yong has set a new Singaporean road mile record at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London, finishing with a time of 4:30. Just days after breaking his own 5km national record, the 33-year-old marathon runner encouraged others to pursue their dreams.

Published

3 weeks ago

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24 September 2024

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SINGAPORE: Singaporean long-distance runner Soh Rui Yong has set a new national record in the road mile, finishing with a time of 4 minutes 30 seconds at the Road Mile at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile in London.

The record-breaking performance comes just eight days after Soh set a new national record in the 5km road race in Battersea Park, London.

In a Monday (23 September) Facebook post, Mr Soh shared his excitement at achieving yet another milestone. He expressed his happiness in “capping the off-season with another national mark.”

The previous road mile national record of 4 minutes 32.44 seconds was set by 22-year-old Ethan Yan at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.

Soh, who is 33 years old, took the opportunity to encourage others to continue pursuing their goals.

“Having patiently built a foundation, now the real work begins as I prepare for a winter marathon. ”

According to a statement from Singapore Athletics on Facebook, this achievement marks the shortest race distance in which Soh, a double SEA Games Marathon Gold Medallist, has ever held a National Record.

Soh now looks forward to the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he will race alongside fellow Singaporean Shaun Goh.

Goh, 27, set a new national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September, placing 20th out of 188 runners.

His time beat Soh’s previous record by 37 seconds, marking a significant achievement for the young athlete.

Singapore Athletics further highlighted that the road mile record appears to be a family affair, as Soh’s sister, Romaine, currently holds the women’s national record for the event with a time of 5:24.19, also set in Riga last year.

Reflecting on his record-setting performance, Soh drew inspiration from Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes.

“Sir Roger Bannister has always been an idol of mine, not just because he was the first man to break 4 minutes, but how he did it as a medical student at Oxford University. ”

“This drew me to give it a go at the Sir Roger Bannister Westminster Mile, racing the traditional distance along the centre of London.”

Reflecting on the grueling nature of middle-distance running, he remarked, “Miles hurt in a much different way than the marathon. While my legs start to go about 2 hours into a marathon, my arms start to fall into lactic acid paralysis 2 minutes into a mile that I’m racing all out. ”

Soh explained how he struggled with pacing early on, eventually finishing with a time of 4:30.

He expressed a desire to return to middle-distance racing in better form, hoping to break 4 minutes and 20 seconds in future attempts.

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Singapore

Singapore’s Shaun Goh breaks men’s 10km road race national record in Melbourne

Singapore runner Shaun Goh set a new national record for the men’s 10km road race, finishing with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne. He surpassed the previous record held by Soh Rui Yong by 37 seconds. Goh placed 20th out of 188 runners, and his next target is the Valencia Half Marathon.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

23 September 2024

By

SINGAPORE: Shaun Goh, 27, has set a new Singapore national record in the men’s 10km road race with a time of 31:00 at the Run Prix 10km in Melbourne on 22 September.

Goh placed 20th in a field of 188 runners at the race, surpassing the previous record held by fellow Singaporean Soh Rui Yong by 37 seconds.

Soh’s record of 31:37 was established in October 2023 during the Valencia Half Marathon.

Upon hearing of Goh’s achievement, Soh, 33, congratulated him on becoming “the fastest Singaporean ever over 10km, road or track.”

According to Singapore Athletics, this milestone adds to a series of record-breaking performances by Goh in 2024.

Goh, an information security analyst, went into the Melbourne race with the specific goal of breaking the national record.

He shared with Singapore Athletics that the race conditions were optimal, and he felt strong during the first 5km.

Goh said he felt relatively strong throughout the first half, which helped him maintain his pace.

In the latter half, he focused on overtaking runners who had started too aggressively.

Despite encountering a challenging stretch of headwind, Goh managed to finish strong.

“I’m very happy with how I was able to close hard at the end of this 10km, and I owe this to my coach, who prepared me well to finish strong at the end of races even though fatigue,” Goh explained.

According to Singapore Athletics, Goh’s official time of 31:00 is his “gun time,” while his net time (actual time spent running) was slightly faster at 30:58.

This marks the first occasion a Singaporean has come close to breaking the 31-minute barrier in a 10km road race.

Goh’s performance also surpassed Soh Rui Yong’s national track record for the 10,000 meters, which stands at 31:10.70.

Goh’s latest feat comes after a series of impressive performances in recent months.

Earlier in July, he clocked a personal best of 31:52 at the Southern Cross University 10km in Gold Coast.

In the same month, Goh also won the Pocari Sweat 2.4km National Championships, setting a new personal record of 6:53.90.

With this achievement, Goh’s average pace was 3:06 per kilometre, translating to a remarkable 7:26 per 2.4km segment.

Singapore Athletics noted this pace as a new benchmark, noting that Goh “has shattered the Men’s 10km Road National Record” and set a challenging precedent for future races.

Goh’s next target is the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October, where he hopes to surpass his current personal best of 69:53.

Looking ahead to this event, Goh expressed confidence, stating that he aims to further improve his form and continue breaking barriers on the international stage.

Singapore Athletics has highlighted the increasing competitiveness among long-distance runners in Singapore, with several national records being rewritten in 2024.

Alongside Goh’s achievements, female runner Vanessa Lee also set a national record in the women’s 10km road race earlier this year, marking a trend of fast times on the road exceeding track performances.

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