If you’re a PS4 player here in the Philippines, then you probably have a Singapore or Hong Kong PlayStation Network account (I myself have an SG account) given that the PH is not officially supported. Not having official support is a hassle, given that you have to buy SG/HK PSN cards to buy games on the PlayStation Store as you can’t use your PH credit/debit card. But for the most part, it’s something that most of us can live with; until recently that is.
Terence Lallave is a professional esports racing driver in the Philippines who plays Gran Turismo Sport, one of the most popular racing simulators right now. He recently qualified for the prestigious Gran Turismo World Tour 2018 Salzburg in Austria, though he got disqualified by Polyphony Digital (developers of Gran Turismo) as his Hong Kong PSN account did not match his country of origin.
Here is Lallave’s post regarding the incident:
The initial plan seems to have been that Lallave will race under Hong Kong, given his HK PS4 account. Though a number of HK players voiced their displeasure upon learning that he was not a native of the country. In the end, Polyphony Digital stepped in and disqualified him for not having a PH PSN account.
In our opinion, his disqualification is unfair given that the Philippines not being supported by PSN officially is no fault of his own. He still should’ve been allowed to compete given the circumstances, especially as he showed great skill in qualifying for the event. Lallave’s disqualification flies in the face of Gran Turismo’s “Driving is for Everyone” tagline.
To show your support for Terence Lallave, you can Tweet to the official GT Sport Twitter and tag @lallaveterence.
