After six seasons, veteran gold laner Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales finally captured his first Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines (MPL PH) title, after ECHO dethroned Blacklist International 4-0 in the Season 11 grand finals.
This new milestone came just four months after Bennyqt and the Orcas took the world by storm when they swept the very same team to come out on top of the M4 World Championship held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Winning the M-Series crown is considered the pinnacle in Mobile Legends esports. But for the M4 Finals MVP, claiming the MPL PH trophy just hits different now that he is a father.
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Bennyqt dedicates MPL PH victory to his partner and their baby
On March 5 Bennyqt announced on Facebook that his partner, Francesca Santos, gave birth to their first child, a baby girl. They named her after one of his signature heroes, Wanwan.
“I really dedicate this championship to my girlfriend and our baby Wanwan,” he said in the interview on stage moments after ECHO secured the MPL crown.
In an exclusive interview with ONE Esports, the 21-year-old MLBB pro shared how much winning the MPL championship means to him now that he is a father.
“I know in myself why and for whom I am doing this. Unlike before, it’s not just having fun competing anymore. Now, I am more motivated because I’m doing this for Wanwan and her mom,” he said.
He also told us more about the biggest adjustment he needed to make in the MPL PH Season 11. “Unlike during M4, I’m balancing my responsibilities as a professional player of ECHO and a dad to Wanwan when I get home,” he said.
“I’m very thankful to the management because they allowed me to leave the boot camp and come home everyday. That is truly important to me because I get to spend time with my baby,” the Mobies 2023 nominee added.
Next month, ECHO will head to Cambodia for the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2023. Bennyqt will be away from his partner and baby daughter, but he will surely carry them in his heart and make them proud.
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