Before MSI 2023 took place, many viewers believed that the lineup for ASIAD 2022 from the Land of the Morning Calm had already been determined. It would be a combination of T1 and Gen.G players, as these were the top two teams in the LCK Spring 2022. However, after MSI 2023 concluded, Ruler and Kanavi appeared on the official roster of the South Korean League of Legends team.
This decision surprised many viewers as the choice to bring in Ruler and Kanavi happened quite rapidly. It should be noted that back in 2022, South Korea had conducted training camps for players, and neither Ruler nor Kanavi participated. However, explaining this decision, the head coach of the South Korean League of Legends team – kkOma stated that he needed to choose the best players to aim for the gold medal.
“My decision to build the national team will be based on the players’ abilities, not their popularity. Ruler and Kanavi have proven that they are outstanding players in their positions, so I decided to choose them to participate in ASIAD 2022. Everything is to serve the goal of winning the gold medal” – Coach kkOma shared.
Fairly speaking, the inclusion of Kanavi and Ruler in the South Korean League of Legends team is entirely deserved. These two players have contributed significantly to the success of JD Gaming (JDG) with their championship wins in the LPL Spring 2023 and MSI 2023. Both Ruler and Kanavi have also shown extremely high performance recently.
With a tournament taking place in a short time like ASIAD 2022, choosing high-performing players is extremely important. Therefore, Coach kkOma’s decision to utilize the duo from JDG is understandable. Hopefully, with the quality roster they currently have, the South Korean League of Legends team will not disappoint fans at the upcoming ASIAD 2022.