'I was really poor when I was a kid, I shared a bed with 7 brothers — now I'm worth $300,000 because of esports'
RIYADH: When it comes to rags to riches, the story of Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo is hard to beat. As a child, he shared a bed — not just a room — with his seven siblings. Now, as a 23-year-old professional esports player, he earns $300,000.
“I grew up in a very busy family,” said Owgwen, who hails from Quezon City in the Philippines and is a world champion for Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” , said the truth.
“We were seven children and we lived in our grandparents' house. The seven of us shared one large bed. I am the eldest son. Sometimes my siblings would wake up in the night because there was not enough space in the bed for all of us. It means we suffered from sleep deprivation.”
The family also struggled to support themselves. His mother, who worked in a mock restaurant, and his unemployed father, divorced when he was young.
“We were so poor that we only had broth and rice to eat — broth and rice every day, every week,” Owgwen said. “The broth comes from a free neighbor. The rice came from our grandmother, the house where we all lived. It was not enough for the seven children. It's very difficult.”
Despite all this, he developed his love and talent for acting, playing whenever and wherever he could with friends and people he met who saw his talent.
Owgwen, an incredible gaming sensation loved by millions of fans around the world, clearly remembers the first time he won the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” love contest in the Philippines.
“I thought, 'There's money here,'” he recalled. “I won – I earned money by winning these competitions, and it helped a lot as far as my family was concerned. Being the eldest son, it helped my family survive in everyday life.”
His dream is to become a professional esports player. The hurdle, as a 19-year-old yet to be drafted, is getting days off from his call center job to compete as much as possible and get as much exposure.
“Fortunately, Coach Ducky spied on me,” said Owgwen of Francis “Ducky” Glindro, a Filipino who coaches the Falcons Team. “He gave me my place in esports and the rest was my journey.”
Owgwen also said: “I support three children. They are only children — 14, 12 and 11 years old — and still in school. I help my family provide for their needs. And of course, the bills I add too.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do that. Life is hard when you have nothing, and you have to live your life. It helps me and my family live a normal life.
“I made $300,000. It was life changing for me and my family. It makes me very happy to be able to give my family the lifestyle they want.
“What motivates me the most is that I come from poverty. It really motivates me to compete and compete with my opponents.”
In addition to supporting his family, he also recently established his first business — a cafe and game center in Binangonan, about 30 km from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. His dad helps him manage the playground.
“Business is booming,” smiled Owgwen.
Growing up, Owgwen could never have dreamed of the places his gambling exploits would take him around the world. He flew for the first time two years ago, when he was 21, to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The final event is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest gaming festival, running for eight weeks from July 3 to August 25 at the Boulevard Riyadh City.
The elite tournament is where the best players and clubs in the world compete in the Esports World Cup Club Championship. The tournament has a prize pool of $60 million, the largest in esports history, and is truly life-changing money.
With Owgwen in good form, Team Falcons qualified for the finals of “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” earlier this month at the Esports World Cup. However, in the sensational match of the season, in front of a raucous crowd at a packed Saudi Esports Federation Stadium, Malaysian outfit Selangor Red Giants were beaten 1-0 They are 4-3.
As disappointed as Owgwen is, overcoming setbacks is something Filipinos know well. He also sees the big picture and is blown away by the passion for gaming and esports in the Kingdom.
“It's big here,” said Owgwen. “Saudi Arabia supports esports. It really helps us shine as athletes who might not have the opportunity. It means a lot to me. I think it's great to serve Team Falcons here.
“They trusted us with their name. We made it to the Grand Final but unfortunately didn't win the championship. But it was still a great experience for us in our trip to Saudi Arabia. “
When asked if he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Owgwen replied, “I'm not focused on money. I'm more focused on winning esports games and helping my teammates get better in our 'ML:BB' journey.
And his message to those who are like him in the past, who have nothing but their dreams and their love of family to live on?
“Don't stop,” he said. “Don't stop catching your love. If you really love your love, you won't regret it, and you can get there too. “
