Mineski Shakes Up Roster After Disappointing StarLadder Ukraine Minor
Mineski, the Southeast Asian esports team, has decided to make changes to its roster following a disappointing performance at the StarLadder Ukraine Minor. Carry player Lai “Ahjit” Jay Son has been removed from the team as they prepare for The International 2019 open qualifiers.
Reason for the Change
At the start of 2019, Ahjit joined Mineski after Thiay “JT-” Jun Wen was moved to the inactive roster. Ahjit spent the past six months with the team, participating in the Dota Pro Circuit and helping Mineski reach the 16th spot in the rankings.
Mixed Success for Mineski
Mineski demonstrated strong performance at ESL One events, but struggled to replicate that success at Major DPC tournaments. After a ninth-place finish at the DreamLeague Season 11 Major, Mineski made roster changes, replacing Kim “Febby” Yong-min and Johan “pieliedie” Åström with Ryan “Bimbo” Jay Qui and Michael “ninjaboogie” Ross. Ninjaboogie took over as team captain in hopes of improving their results.
Last Chance at The International 2019
While Mineski held onto its roster for a few more events, the recent change comes just before the open qualifiers for The International 2019. These qualifiers are the final opportunity for teams like Mineski who did not make it into the top 12 of the DPC. However, since Mineski is currently in the top 20 of the DPC rankings, they may still receive a direct invite to the closed qualifiers for the SEA region.
The open qualifiers will take place from July 3 to 7, followed by the closed qualifiers from July 8 to 15. Only six teams will have the opportunity to compete at TI9, with one team representing each of the six regions.