Cover-Credits:
While Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan's skill was never in doubt when he was first announced as the new midlaner for Team Aster, there were concerns about the team's communication since SumaiL does not speak Chinese. Within just a few months of joining this roster, the midlaner appears to have adapted quickly, revealing in an interview at the Riyadh Masters 2023 that he has learned Mandarin Chinese from scratch. Possibly in sarcasm, he said that he had become fluent in the language and could speak better than some team members. Aside from this, SumaiL also discussed his fanbase in China.
SumaiL talks about learning Chinese and his fanbase in the country
SumaiL has been with Team Aster for nearly three months and at the Riyadh Masters 2023, he mentioned that he has acquired a strong grasp of the Chinese language over this period.
“The thing is I learned Chinese Mandarin completely in the past two months so now we just speak in the native tongue. I am super fluent so as a matter of fact it’s surprising I speak better than some actually on the team. So, there’s no problem anymore.”
Previously, SumaiL had mentioned that coach Cheng "Mad" Han was helping him and his teammates bridge the communication gap.
Apart from this, he acknowledged the support he has been getting from the Chinese Dota 2 fans since joining Aster.
“I understood that I have a huge fan base in China except for that little incident in 2016. But even after that, after a few months, it settled down and everything was…Because TI9 was in China, every time I walked out, it felt like I was in the US, you know, I was playing in a home crowd. So, I had an idea.”
SumaiL could have found more options in a familiar region, but he chose Aster for a few reasons, including the players and their experience on the big stage.
“I didn’t follow much of the Chinese scene but I liked the players on Aster. They have been playing for a long time, most of them have performed well at TI, especially Xxs and Monet.”
After a modest beginning to their collaboration, Aster and SumaiL have elevated their performance which can be attributed to increased time spent together and improved communication. In the Riyadh Masters 2023, the team won Group A in the play-ins and is now well positioned for a top four finish in the group stage to move directly into the upper bracket.
