KUALA LUMPUR: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Malaysia players and fans united in a heart-warming display of solidarity with Malaysian footballers who became victims of violence recently.
MPL Malaysia league leaders Selangor Red Giants led the display during their match against Niners yesterday, with both players and fans holding up banners and singing solidarity chants at the MPL Arena in Serdang Jaya.
Selangor Football Club had launched the "Stand with Faisal Halim. Stop the Violence" campaign last week.
Faisal was the victim of a vicious acid attack while Akhyar Rashid was robbed and physically assaulted, both incidents occurred earlier this month. The duo sustained significant injuries.
Moonton Games' marketing and business development lead Fikri Rizal Mahruddin said the league would also take its own precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their players.
Moonton are the developers of MLBB.
"The recent attacks on our national footballers have greatly shocked and saddened us," said Fikri today.
"We stand in solidarity with our fellow professional athletes on this matter and will take stricter precautions for the wellbeing and safety of our own.
"The league wishes a speedy recovery for Faisal and Akhyar."
The final week of the MPL Malaysia regular season witnessed Red Giants maintaining their perfect record in the competition by beating Niners 2-0 to top the table on 27 points.
They have not dropped a single game in the regular season, a feat that no other team has managed before in the history of the competition. MPL Malaysia is currently in its 13th season.
Defending champions HomeBois concluded the regular season in second place (20 points) after beating Barracuda Esports 2-0. Todak downed Monster Vicious 2-0 to place third on 15 points.
RSG Malaysia (14 points) and Team Haq (13 points) were fourth and fifth while King Empire Esports (13 points) rounded out the top-six that advances to the playoffs from May 30-June 2.
Niners and Monster Vicious (both nine points), settled for seventh and eighth while Barracuda (eight points) finished ninth.
Bountee Esports, who finished in last place in 10th (seven points), became the first team in MPL Malaysia history to be relegated to the MLBB Academy League (MAL) next season.
The top-six teams will now battle for the MPL Malaysia title, a slice of the RM468,000 prize purse as well as the chance to represent Malaysia at the Mid Season Cup in Riyadh (June 28-July 14).
MSC, which will be held in conjunction with the Esports World Cup, offers a staggering US$3 million prize purse.
