Cover-Credits:
Malaysian Dota 2 player turned coach Chai "Mushi" Yee Fung recently revealed his search for a new team. As part of his tweet, the 33 year old announced that he is willing to coach new teams and is open to discussions with the potential ones. The search for a new organization follows a brief stint with Blacklist International at the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 where the team, as the sole Southeast Asian (SEA) representative, failed to advance past the group stage. The last major coaching position Mushi held before this was with BOOM Esports from 2021 to 2023.
Mushi is looking for a new team in the coaching role
“LFT as a coach. Feel free to contact me. Discussion and sharing is very much welcomed as well,” Mushi announced on Twitter.
While Mushi had a few stand-in stints at tournaments recently, he has played a major role as a coach for BOOM Esports in the last two years. The organization dominated the regional leagues in the 2021-22 season after he joined in late 2021 and played a crucial role in the success that included a win at the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022. BOOM relied heavily on Mushi for drafts and strategies during this time.
While Mushi continued to coach a star-studded BOOM lineup in 2023, the team never really found its footing as the season progressed. It was a 180-degree turn as BOOM even found itself getting relegated to Division II
BOOM had to part ways with Mushi in November 2023 as part of its decision to recruit a South American roster.
Mushi, who has established himself as one of the greatest Dota 2 players to come from SEA, has been focusing on coaching for the previous two years and is now hoping to take it a step further in his hunt for a new squad.
Meanwhile, there are fewer tier one coaches in Southeast Asia than in China or Europe, so it was unexpected that Blacklist and Mushi would not continue after ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023. Blacklist's all-Filipino team might have preferred communication ease so Mushi's Malaysian background may have played a part in the decision.
Nevertheless, given Mushi's credentials, it is only a matter of time before a Southeast Asian team or a squad from a different region secures his coaching services for the upcoming 2024 competitive season.
