“Competing in the MSC is one of my dreams”—a quick interview with Hadji from Team Falcons PH
In an OFFSTAGE interview with Team Falcons PH players, Salik “Hadji” Imam talked about competing on the international stage and explained what makes Eidora strong right now.
Hi! Let’s start with your impressions of this tournament. What do you think of the venue and the level of organization?
This is a very large-scale tournament, and the atmosphere here is simply amazing!
Outside of Southeast Asia, there’s a common perception that MPL leagues are more competitive than the MSC and M World Championship, given the caliber of the participants. How accurate is that, and which of these championships is objectively more challenging?
I believe that international tournaments are much more challenging than the MPL because they feature the best teams from their respective regions.
Traditionally, the top two teams from MPL PH qualify for the Mid Season Cup. But if we take, for example, a team that finished in 6th–8th place in the tournament, how far could it theoretically go in the MSC?
I think it could make it to the playoffs.
You’ve competed in M-Series tournaments many times—you won the M3 World Championship and qualified for M4. However, you missed last year’s championship. What are your thoughts on returning to the big stage?
I’m happy to be back on the international stage. Competing in the MSC is one of my dreams. I’d say I’m happy right now.
Given your extensive experience, can you tell us how the atmosphere at major tournaments has changed over the past 3–4 years? Has the professional MLBB scene become more competitive, or have its key characteristics remained the same?
It used to be easier to compete in tournaments—teams didn’t pay much attention to the details, and many of them didn’t have coaches. Now, though, all teams take the game very seriously and have several analysts each. That’s how much the pro scene has grown over the past few years.
How much do you like the current hero meta? Can you name the strongest mid laners?
I think assassins are gradually making a comeback in the meta, while versatile junglers are falling out of favor. As for mid laners, I’d name Eidora, Eve, and Zhuxin.
Could you tell us more about Eidora? She wasn’t the most popular pick before, but now we see her often in matches. What is this hero’s main strength right now?
I pick Eidora because her abilities were reworked. Now she fits the meta and brings tremendous value to the team with her early-game damage.
In a recent podcast, your coach, Coach Moody, noted that mental preparation for opponents is very important for your team. How much does it affect your performance? Do you think it’s effective?
Mental preparation is very important. At major tournaments, you have to be strong not only tactically but also mentally. It helps especially when your team is losing—in those moments, you need to be able to bounce back quickly. That’s all.
