Gen.G Bot Lane Carry Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk decided to not take part in the tryouts for the 2022 Asian Games. Gen.G’s General Manager, Jihun Lee, posted this note on Twitter, while fellow Gen.G member @swingchip930 translated it to English. The translation mentions that this was a personal reason from Ruler, in order to improve his synergy with Lehands, his support.
Image Courtesy of Liquipedia
This has several repercussions, for both him and the South Korean squad. Ruler was previously on a 10-player shortlist of pre-candidates to represent South Korea in the 2022 Asian Games. With him stepping down, DRX’s Deft was called up to the spot. The other bot lane carry candidate is Gumayusi, from T1. He is now the clear favourite to take the position, as he will be competing with someone who wasn’t a candidate previously.
Another big consequence is a personal one for Ruler. In South Korea, all male citizens must present themselves to the military and serve for at least two years. However, winning a gold medal in the Asian Games or any medal at the Olympics offers an exemption to the winner. While Ruler is still 23, a good ways off, the earlier he could earn the exemption, the better for his career in the game. Many former Korean pros have ended their careers or had to put them on pause due to mandatory service.
Another important thing to remember is that Gumayusi is even younger than Ruler. If he continues his run of form and even improves, it might be difficult for Ruler to continue competing with him for a spot on the team. The sooner he could get this possible exemption, the better for the player.
That said, the player opted out of the competition. This shows not only confidence in himself, that he can continue performing at the highest level and make the team next year, but also shows his dedication to Gen.G. Deciding to take time off with the sole purpose of improving his teamwork with his support is a call that many Gen.G fans will appreciate. All that’s left is to wait and see the results in the Summer Split.
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