Ukraine is once again confirming its status as an esports nation. The MLBB national team started the qualifier with a loss — and ended it with a ticket to Riyadh. Ukraine continues to expand its presence at the Esports Nations Cup final stage: another Ukrainian discipline joins the main ENC stage.
The national team roster brings together players from three different clubs, but with one common denominator — experience competing at the highest level of the Ukrainian and international MLBB scene.
The team’s backbone is formed by three Boars Gaming players. Serhii “Pelmetronio” Lysohor — a gold laner with a peak rank of 1032 stars Mythical Immortal and a multiple-time Surge Europe medalist. Vladyslav “GODBELIEVER” Hrabchenko — winner of MEK Season 1 and silver medalist at MEK Season 2. Anton “stonix” Drahniov completes the trio, who already play together at the club level.
Joining them are two players with different backgrounds. Ihor “Sensei” Khimiak — midlaner for Minerva Fury, playing since 2017, has competed for Team Falcons, with a top-4 finish at MCC Season 2 and 5th-8th place at IESF 2024 to his name. Ihor “makar0n” Makarenko — jungler for White Army with experience representing Ukraine’s national team at IESF WEC 2024.
Substitutes — Kyrylo “Pankrattt” Shynkar and Daniil “RISE” Lizon. The team is led by coach Vitalii “FreeStyle” Belinskyi.
Three Days of Fighting in the Qualifier
The qualifiers ran from August 14 to 16 and brought together teams from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. After a loss to Kazakhstan in the first round, the national team dropped to the lower bracket — and went through it without a single further loss. Greece — 2:0, Kyrgyzstan — 2:0, and in the decisive match for the spot — a 3:1 victory over Poland. Making it to the main event through the lower bracket isn’t just a result. It’s character.
UESF as National Team Partner
The MLBB national team’s qualification was the last in a long qualification marathon for ENC. Over months of work as the official National Team Partner, the federation completed a full cycle: forming rosters across nine disciplines, selecting coaches, coordinating the qualification process with ENC organizers, and resolving logistical matters for each team.
The qualification stage is now complete. Ukraine is represented at the ENC final stage — and that’s the result of work that began long before the first matches were played.
“An important victory for Ukraine’s national team at the regional qualifiers. It was a journey filled with fierce battles and an intense grand final. Thank you to the team for the work they put in — see you in Riyadh!” — UESF CEO Andrii Gryshchenko.
About the Tournament
The Esports Nations Cup final stage will take place in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine will be represented at the tournament across multiple disciplines. Players will have a great opportunity to test their abilities against the best and show what they’re made of. At the same time, for the Federation, ENC will be a genuine challenge and another significant step in the development of Ukrainian esports — because it’s not only the players representing the country, but the Federation in its role as NTP.
