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TGR ‘did not benefit’ from game-fixing, sacks beleaguered ex-ML:BB coach

2 min readTGR, which will represent UST in the inaugural UAAP Esports tournament in June, found themselves in hot water after their now-fired ML:BB coach Jigen Paul Masangkay was accused of offering P100,000 to fix games in local ML:BB professional and amateur leagues.
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Published 10 months ago on April 27, 2024

by Rob Andrew Dongiapon

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(Photo by Miguel Angelo Sumalinog/TomasinoWeb)

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After firing their Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (ML:BB) coach involved in a game-fixing scandal, the Teletigers Esports Club (TGR) said they never gained from any game-fixing actions done by anyone across their teams.

TGR, which will represent UST in the inaugural UAAP Esports tournament in June, found themselves in hot water after their now-fired ML:BB coach Jigen Paul Masangkay was accused of offering P100,000 to fix games in local ML:BB professional and amateur leagues.

“We did not benefit from any [of the] accused’s actions,” TGR president Nicole Paguio told TomasinoWeb. “The former coach also did not match-fix for TGR and our teams. Our players and managers are unaware of the issue.”

Masangkay was accused of match-fixing by pro esports coach Francis "Ducky" Glindro, who posted on social media screenshots of an alleged chat conversation between a person named “Jigen Paul” where he offered to bribe the other person in the conversation to fix games in the ML:BB Development and Professional Leagues.

Screencap from Duckeyyy's Facebook Page

(Screencap from Duckeyyy's Facebook Page)

"I will find out whoever this guy is working with and some other people who fixes (sic) matches and deal with you so [...] good you won't forget about me. You're a disgrace of a Head Coach," Glindro wrote on Thursday.

A few hours after the post went viral, TGR acknowledged Masangkay’s involvement with their ML:BB team but noted that he was only part of the coaching staff in the SMART University Clash and has not been working with TGR since November 2023.

Photo from the Teletigers Facebook Page

(Photo from the Teletigers Facebook Page)

"TGR contracted the coaching services of Jigen Paul on the 7th of August, 2023, and has been inactive since late November 2023,” TGR wrote in their official statement.

TGR said that they have now sacked Masangkay and permanently banned him from participating in the organization’s activities and events.

Moving forward, the organization vowed to evaluate its prospective members and staff more strictly.

“The organization will create a more thorough background check, not only with its players but also with the management staff,” said Paguio.

“We believe in fairness above all. The organization will do everything in our ability to not let this happen again,” she added.

The UAAP announced the introduction of Esports tournaments in the sporting calendar last December, which will include events in ML:BB, Valorant, and NBA 2K.

UST

Teletigers

Esports

UAAP

Match Fixing

Profile picture of Rob Andrew Dongiapon

Rob Andrew Dongiapon

Sports Editor

Rob Andrew L. Dongiapon is a Sports Editor at TomasinoWeb. He is an avid fan of sports and competition. He also finds great entertainment in combat sports, He continues to strive to make this love of sports pay his future bills. Aside from studying journalism, he writes for Thunderous Intentions where he displays his unhealthy love of the Oklahoma City Thunder. When he is not writing, he probably is watching YouTube videos of how to take over the world.

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