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The road to improvement isn’t a solo journey. It requires having those you trust nearby to help you.
MPL PH Season 17 was a big redemption season for Team Falcons’ Mid Laner Salic “Hadji” Imam and the proof is in the award he holds in his hands.
As the Infinix Most Improved Player of the Season, Hadji has bounced back in a really strong way. He had a first round playoffs exit with Twisted Minds in Season 15, followed by bottoming out in seventh place and missing playoffs entirely with Omega Esports in Season 16. Now Hadji is heading to MSC 2026 in Paris, France, after finishing in second place with Team Falcons.
His performance went from a downward spiral in 2025 to reappearing on the international stage for the first time after his M4 world championship run in 2023. It’s an impressive recovery, but Hadji himself was somewhat surprised to receive his award.
“Actually, hindi ko na-expect na ako yung magiging most improved player,” sadi Hadji to The GAME. “Ang tagal ko na rin sa scene. Siguro naging most improved player ako kasi naging champion ako tapos humina, di na nananalo. Then natuloy ako sa Falcons na yung previous season naging shaky rin. Pag-join ko, biglang naka-perform kami ng maayos so nag-improve kami ng sobra.”
Team Falcons was coming off of a terrible Season 16 where they barely squeezed into the playoffs only to then get immediately knocked out. One could say that both Hadji and Team Falcons had something to prove. That desire to improve together is what led them to quickly trust one another – a stark contrast to his time with Omega Esports.
“Biggest difference is talagang bagong Omega ‘yun,” said Hadji as he reflects on his previous season. “As in wala kaming chemistry. Parang kulang palagi yung practice namin nung time na ‘yun kasi bago lang kami. Bihira lang ‘yun, yung bigla na lahat ay magcli-click.”
“Sa Falcons, meron na silang chemistry so iniisip ko lang yung sarili ko. Konting adjustment lang yung kailangan. Kahit na magkamali kami, feel ko na suportado pa rin namin isa’t-isa. Walang nagdo-doubt sa amin.”
No one can deny the improvement of Hadji and Team Falcons throughout Season 17. Now we’ll have to see if they can push that further to win themselves a championship.
Images from MPL Philippines on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salic “Hadji” Imam of Team Falcons won the Infinix Most Improved Player of the Season award in MPL PH Season 17. After struggling in Seasons 15 and 16 with Twisted Minds and Omega Esports respectively, Hadji led a strong comeback that carried Team Falcons to a second-place finish.
In Season 16 with Omega Esports, Hadji finished seventh and missed the playoffs entirely. In Season 17 with Team Falcons, he reached second place and earned the Most Improved Player award, qualifying for MSC 2026 — his first international appearance since the M4 World Championship in 2023.
Hadji attributed his struggles at Omega Esports to a lack of team chemistry. The roster was newly formed, with limited practice time and little natural cohesion. He noted that instant chemistry in a new lineup is rare, which contributed to the team’s poor overall performance that season.
Hadji described Team Falcons as a squad that already had established chemistry before he arrived, which meant he only needed to make small individual adjustments. He noted that even when mistakes happened, teammates remained supportive — a dynamic that he credited as central to their Season 17 improvement.
MSC 2026 — the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup — is being held in Paris, France. Team Falcons qualified for the tournament after finishing in second place in MPL PH Season 17, with Hadji representing the Philippines on the international stage for the first time since M4 in 2023.