Following an intense best-of-five series against T1, Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao and his team, Bilibili Gaming, are poised to take on the South Korean champions Gen.G. With no time to rest, BLG is now aiming to earn themselves their first-ever international title and bring home the victory for China. In this exclusive interview, the botlaner delves into his thoughts on his encounter with T1 and his expectations for tomorrow's finals.
Elk, playing on the MSI 2024 Stage against T1. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
How did you feel today playing against T1? Were you stressed going into game 5?
Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao: "After T1's 3-0 against G2, we thought that T1's recent performances were really good. We knew that they would be in very good form today. As for game 5, since we've played a lot of full BO5s lately, we were actually quite relaxed. We had enough confidence that, in terms of our individual mechanics and in-game strategies, we'd be the better team.
This is your second MSI finals in a row, having lost to JD Gaming last year. Are you confident that you can beat Gen.G and win the tournament for China?
Elk: Our main goal is to lift the trophy for the LPL and our region. This is something that not only I want, but our entire team wants. We want to earn this trophy on home soil and defend the honor of our region. Additionally, we'd like to prove that a team of five Chinese players can beat a team of five Korean players. I think it'll be easier to win the trophy than to win today's match. To be honest, it feels like T1 might have been a tougher opponent than Gen.G will be.
Speaking of defending the honor of your region; China has never won an international tournament on home soil. Would being the first Chinese team to ever win while in China mean anything special to you?
Elk: It feels like tomorrow could be the start of something great for us. We want to establish the strength of our full Chinese roster and win for and in China, especially since we are playing against a South Korean team. For the finals, we'll be more confident. We'll win MSI first, and then the World Championship.
Bilibili Gaming, celebrating after their victory against T1. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
You have been one of the most hyped-up AD Carries at MSI 2024. After strong performances in the LPL, you have had mixed performances at this tournament. How do you evaluate your own performances so far?
Elk: Before playing MSI, since we won the LPL Spring play-offs, there have been huge expectations put on us. So far, I feel like we've definitely had our ups and downs in terms of form and momentum. I have some regrets about some of the games we played, and it's a pity. Still, no matter what happens, our whole team is focused on fighting to reach the top. We really try our best to carry one another and try with everything we've got. We don't care about outside comments and opinions. We just want to win our games, perform on stage, and win the championship.
Senna has been a controversial pick at MSI. Most teams have struggled when picking her but, you have always performed well with that champion. Do you think that other teams are not utilizing Senna properly?
Elk: Since we still have to play the finals, I don't want to reveal too much about what I think of her. That said, I think that Senna is a rather simple and easy champion. She can be a support, make your team tankier, and deal high amounts of damage while on very low economy. I really feel like Senna is a great champion because of that. Not requiring a lot of gold makes her a very valuable champion.
Before we close out, what should we expect from tomorrow's match?
Elk: The trophy is not leaving Chengdu. We will lift it and be champions."
Header Credit Photo: Lee Aiksoon/Riot Games
