“I Was So Poor As A Child I Shared A Bed With 7 Siblings – Now I'm Worth $300,000 Thanks To Esports”
RIYADH: When it comes to rags to riches stories, the story of Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo is hard to beat. As a youngster, he shared a bed – not just a room – with his seven siblings. Now, as a 23-year-old professional eSports player, he has career earnings of $300,000.
“I grew up in a very poor family,” Owgwen, from Quezon City in the Philippines, and a world champion roamer for Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons in “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang,” says matter-of-factly.
“We are seven siblings and we lived exactly in our grandparents' house. All seven of us shared a large bed. I am the oldest. Sometimes my other siblings woke up during the night because the space in the bed was not big enough for all of us. It meant we suffered from sleep deprivation.”
The family also struggled to support themselves. His mother, who ironically worked in a restaurant, and 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,” says Owgwen. The broth came from a neighbor for free. The rice came from our grandmother, whose house we all lived in. Seven siblings was not enough. It was really hard.”
Despite all this, he developed a passion and talent for gaming, playing whenever and wherever he could with friends and people he met who saw his ability.
Owgwen, whose incredible gaming moves are loved by millions of fans worldwide, remembers quite clearly the first time he won a “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” amateur tournament in the Philippines.
“I thought: 'there's money here,'” he recalls. “I won — I won money because I won these tournaments, and it helped a lot when it came to providing for my family. Being the oldest son, it helped my family survive through everyday life.”
His dream was to become a professional e-sports player. The obstacle to that, as a 19-year-old who still wouldn't be registered, was getting time off from his job as a call center agent to compete as much as possible and get discovered.
“Fortunately, Coach Ducky scouted me,” Owgwen says of Francis “Ducky” Glindro, another Filipino who coaches Team Falcons. “He secured me my place in eSports and the rest is my journey.”
Owgwen adds: “I support three siblings. They are just children – 14, 12 and 11 years old – and still in school. I help my family support what they need. And of course the bills I help with as well.
– It means a lot to me to be able to do that. Life is hard when you have nothing, and you have to survive in your life. It helps my family, and me, to experience a normal life.
“I've made about $300,000. It's been life-changing for me and my family. It makes me feel really good that I can give my family whatever lifestyle they want.
“What motivates me the most is that I came from poverty. It really drives me to compete and play competitively against my opponents.”
Besides supporting his family, he also recently started his first business — an internet cafe and gaming hub in Binangonan, about 30 km from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. His father helps him run the gaming center.
“Business is booming,” smiles Owgwen.
Growing up, Owgwen could never have dreamed of the places his gambling ventures have taken him to around the world. After traveling on a plane for the first time two years ago, when he was 21, he has since been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Romania, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The latest venture is the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the biggest gaming festival in the world, which runs for eight weeks from July 3 to August 25 on Boulevard Riyadh City.
The elite competition is where the best players and clubs on the planet battle it out for the Esports World Cup Club Championship. The tournament has a $60 million prize pool, the largest in eSports history, and truly life-changing money.
With Owgwen in fine form, Team Falcons qualified for the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” finals earlier this month at the Esports World Cup. But in an incredible performance for the ages, in front of a raucous crowd at a packed Saudi Esports Federation Arena, they were beaten 4-3 by Malaysian outfit Selangor Red Giants.
As disappointed as Owgwen was, overcoming adversity is something the Filipino knows all too well. He also sees the big picture and was blown away by the passion for gaming and e-sports in the Kingdom.
“It's so big here,” says Owgwen. “Saudi Arabia supports eSports. It really helps us shine as athletes who otherwise might not have the opportunities. It really means a lot to me. I think it's a pleasure to serve Team Falcons here.
“They have trusted us with their name. We made it to the grand final but unfortunately we didn't win the championship. But it was still a great experience for us on our journey here in Saudi Arabia.”
When asked if he wants to become a millionaire through esports, Owgwen says, “I'm not focused on the money. I'm much more focused on winning esports games and helping my teammates get better on our 'ML:BB' journey.”
And his message to those who were once just like him, with only their dreams and love of family to live for?
“Don't stop,” he says. “Don't stop chasing your passion. If you really like your passion, you won't regret it, and you can also go this far.”
