(Esports news) They say age is just a number and you’re never too old to pursue your dreams, which is exactly what the eight person team of Matagi Snipers believe in, being Japan’s first esports professional team consisting entirely of elderly citizens. For a profession largely associated with younger participants and audiences, the Matagi Snipers have players ranging from the age of 66 to 73 and their presence in the industry is doing wonders to make the sport more inclusive to all.

Based in Akita Prefecture, the Matagi Snipers consist of eight players plus two additional spots for ‘juniors’ aged 65 or younger. Named after the local “matagi” hunting group, the team focuses primarily on shooting games and sets their sights high to make a mark in the esports industry. In a press conference, 72 year old Mr. Kita of Matagi Snipers said “I'm doing my best and having fun every day. I'll try hard to become the very best as a professional player.” The team has also kept gender balance in mind and currently have three female players in their team who will participate in events and tournaments representing the Matagi Snipers from April next year.

The establishment of the team was to highlight the benefits of esports in senior citizens with a secondary aim for them to impress their grandkids. The selection process was surprisingly challenging as aspiring team members were tested for their gaming aptitude and only eight made the cut out of the twenty one people who applied. The concept of elderly people playing esports might be the first of its kind in Japan but back in 2017, a Counter-Strike team known as Silver Snipers which was sponsored by Lenovo consisted of players over the age of 60.

Japan has taken steps to make the esports industry more inclusive to all and launched an esports facility last year for senior citizens called ISR Esports in Kobe. The aim of this facility has been to introduce esports to complete beginners and one such individual, an 88 year old who has been visiting the facility since last year admitted that they have played a big part in him enjoying games that he previously did not. In an interview with Japan’s ABC TV, he said “That’s because there are lots of different types.”

The concept of senior citizens being involved in esports is breathing new life in the second chapter of many of their lives. Gaming has been a preventative measure against cognitive impairment, hand and eye coordination combined with discussing strategy with teammates is helping many elderly individuals keep their mind sharp and active, which is not only beneficial in the esports domain but also daily life. The Matagi Snipers practice three times a week, which by professional esports standards is admittedly not a lot but there are also limitations that come with age. They plan to start streaming content on Youtube and Twitch from October and their popularity might make esports for the elderly a mainstream prospect. For many young esports players, the possibility of having no retirement age for their careers might be a relief and they should actively promote the idea of more esports teams and leagues for the elderly.

Also read: World Esports League 2021 to start India Qualifiers from September 29th 

New Delhi, September 22 (Esports news): The India qualifiers for the World Esports League (WSL) 2021 will begin from September 29 to 30 by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI). The World Esports League is hosted by Technoblood Inc. and organised by the WSL Organising Committee in partnership with the International Esports Federation (IESF). The pandemic has caused the India Qualifiers to be held virtually with top athletes from across the country competing and showcasing their skills and strategies. Top games like TEKKEN7 and multiplayer online battle arena and third-person hero shooter video game Brawl Stars (3V3) will
be part of the event.

Fighting game Tekken7 will be proceeding in double elimination format whereas athletes can compete in Brawl Stars in Single elimination format. “A tight-knit fight gaming community in India has extreme potential, one that we keep witnessing in many esports tournaments in the country. Tekken7 has a legacy of being the top fighting games and we are confident that esports athletes coming from the country will be putting up a show of their own. Brawl Stars is a very popular game among the children between 16-21 years of age and there will be a display of budding superstars coming out as national champions and bringing the laurels for the nation at the Global Finals.This is a very interesting time for esports in India and we are already looking forward to our national qualifiers for WSL ’21,” said Mr. Prabhat Kumar, Director of Esports Federation of India.

Along with the experience, the Indian qualifiers will be selected to represent the country at the Global Finals of WSL 2021 which is scheduled to take place in Korea from December 16 to 19. The air travel expenses and accommodation of the athletes traveling to Korea will be covered. In order to take part in the event, country’s Esports athletes and enthusiasts can
register themselves on https://discord.gg/esfi till 26th September 2021.

Also read:  Ultimate Battle brings out subscription model for gamers for increased access

New Delhi, September 20 (Esports news): Ultimate Battle (UB), India’s first single stop online Esports platform has introduced VIP membership for esports players to expand their gaming levels.

Available at INR 99 for 3 months and INR 299 for a year, the VIP Membership will include players unlimited access to Free tournaments along with a redeem store to buy and sell in-game items using UB Coins earned from Free tournaments on Ultimate Battle. VIP Members will also enjoy an ad-free experience with the new intuitive user interface. Other than that, VIP members will also get free access to Leaderboard events with added rewards. VIP Membership enables Gamers to explore exclusive features and explore the platform.

While talking about the latest development, Tarun Gupta, Founder of Ultimate Battle said, “The new subscription model will help us take the business to the next level. It will increase player’s participation and give them more opportunities to engage on the platform backed by awards and recognition. Our new subscription model is a step forward in a direction to give the esports community a platform to hone their gaming skills.”

“The excitement and the growing popularity of Esports have taken the gaming community to its new heights. The latest announcement of 8 esports titles in Asian Games 2022 is being welcomed in the Esports community, only making it more prominent and influential in every aspect,” he further added.

Subscription models are becoming a mandatory step in all major cloud-based apps. Ultimate Battle is one of the few that has successfully introduced it for its users. UB, which has been a regular place for playing many action-packed games with high-end graphics and has successfully added more than 12 esports title games to the platform, boasts to be a gamer’s paradise that also caters to the Esports community with Gaming News Content and an e-commerce gaming store.

Currently, the platform has over 3,30,000+ players and 81,000+ monthly active users. The platform also provides gamers an active community to engage, interact and compete with other gamers.

Also read: Reigning national champion Hemanth Kommu qualifies for the Finals at 13th Esports World Championship

Chennai, Sep 14 (Chess news) The US team fought back brilliantly after being trounced in Round 1 by India to win the second and the Blitz tie-break 4.5-1.5, emerging victorious in an exciting semifinal in the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad on Tuesday.

The Americans bounced back strongly after being outclassed in Round 1 by winning the second 4-2 to force a Blitz tie-break to decide the winner.

In the tie-break, Jeffrey Xiong, Ray Robson, Irina Krush and Thalia Cervantes Landeiro registered wins to set up a stunning 4.5-1.5 win for the US.

Harikrishna, playing on the top board in place of Viswanathan Anand, went down in 35 moves to Xiong, who had earlier shocked India's No 1 (Anand) in round 2.

B Adhiban, who had done the star turn in India's tie-break win over Ukraine on Monday, had no such luck on Tuesday as he was beaten by Robson.

Vaishali could not make much of an impression and went down to Cervantes Landeiro, while the country's top woman player Koneru Humpy's defeat at the hands of Krush crushed India's hopes.

Harika won all her three matches on Tuesday but it could not help India advance to the summit clash.

In round 2, Xiong was the star for the US as he shocked former world champion Viswanathan Anand, while Robson Ray pulled off an important win over Vidit Gujrathi, playing on the second board in place of P Harikrishna.

Awonder Liong secured a crucial point by getting the better of Praggnanandhaa. D Harika continued her good run by beating Nazi Palkidze, while Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali drew against Irina Krush and Thaila Cervantes Landeiro, respectively.

Riding on Vaishali's victory to open the scoring, Anand-led India romped to a 5-1 win in the first round.

After Vaishali gave India the first point beating Landeiro in 38 moves, Anand, Harikrishna and Harika added to the points posting wins over Jeffrey Xiong, Dairusz Swiercz and Anna Zatonskih, respectively.

In the Harika-Zatonskih match, the Indian player defended a difficult position before cashing in on an error by her opponent.

Konery Humpy drew with Irina Krush, while the young Nihal Sarin held Awonder Liang to a draw.

The US will face Russia who got the better of China in Wednesday's finale.

Results: Seminals: Round 1: India beat US 5-1 (Anand beat Xiong, Harikrishna beat Swiercz, Humpy drew Krush, Harika beat Zatonskih, Sarin drew Liang, Vaishali beat Cervantes).

Round 2: India lost to US 2-4 (Anand lost to Xiong, Vidit Gujrathi lost to Robson, Humpy drew Krush, Harika beat Paikidze, Praggnanandhaa lost to Awonder Liang, Vaishali dew Cervantes Landeiro).

Blitz tie-break: India lost to US 1.5-4.5 (Harikrishna lost to Xiong, Adhiban lost to Robson, Humpy lost to Krush, Harika beat Paikidze, Sarin drew with Awonder Liang, Vaishali lost to Cervantes Landeiro).

Also read: Online Chess Olympiad: India edges out Ukraine in tie-break to reach semi-final

News source:PTI 

(Esports news) After a brilliant performance in the regional qualifiers, reigning national champion Hemanth Kommu has made his way into the finals of the 13th Esports World Championship. He finished in the top position in PES 2021 in the South Asia region to become the first Indian to seal a spot in the prestigious tournament.

Currently pursuing his Masters degree from IIT Guwahati, Hemanth faced athletes from Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Maldives and Sri Lanka at the regional qualifiers, held online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The 24 year old displayed excellent skills and strategy and has secured himself a berth in the World Championship Finals which will be held in Eilat, Israel from November 14-19.

"It’s a great feeling to represent India in the PES series, the game which I have loved playing since my childhood days. It’s sheer dedication and hard work resulted in getting the spot in the Finals of EWC’21 and it allowed me a chance to bring the laurels for the country. The right mentality and proper grind towards the game makes everything possible and a sure-shot path to get the success,” elated Hemant aka peshemak7 said after securing the Finals berth at the World Championships.

The regional qualifiers will also see a five member CS:GO team comprising Ritesh Sarda, Shuvajyoti Chakraborty, Anshul Adardkar, Hrishikesh Shenoy and Harsh Jain, and Tekken 7 player Hitesh Khorwal in action to secure their place in the World Championships Final on October 5th. The matches will be streamed live on the International Esports Federation’s official channels.

Also read: Yuvin Esports announce Tata Motors as title sponsors for Yuvin Valorant Invitational tournament

(Esports news) Tata Motors have been announced as title sponsors for the Yuvin Valonrant Invitational tournament, scheduled to be held from September 2 - 5, 2021. This move marks the entry of the biggest automobile manufacturer Tata Motors into the Esports domain.

While welcoming Tata Motors to the Esports family, Sharang Naicker, CEO & Founder of Yuvin Esports Pvt. Ltd., said, “One of the most premier and established automobile companies, Tata Motors is entering into Esports. The brand name and presence like Tata Motors always incites an environment of awe and veneration for all the communities out there irrespective of the medium they are currently in. Tata Group has been supportive of multiple sports for centuries and now everything is becoming ‘e’ it is perfect time for the grand entry into ‘e’sports.”

Yuvin Esports Pvt. Ltd was founded by an ex-pro gamer Naicker in 2018. The company’s aim is to build and groom talent from India, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Yuvin Valorant Invitational tournament will feature the top eight Valorant teams from India battle it out in a single elimination format for the prize money of INR 1 lakh. The contest will be in a best of three format while the grand finale will feature a best of five format.

Yuvin Esports’ this invitational Valorant Tournament is an engagement with Tata Motors that will coincide with the recently launched all-new Tata Tiago NRG. “Tata Tiago NRG is a perfect car to own for our young, dynamic, tech-savvy Esports enthusiasts. We are extremely proud and excited that Tata Motors have partnered with us to promote Tiago NRG through a modern medium of Esports. This is the first of many events we have planned for the massive Esports enthusiasts’ community. With your love and support, we are sure to build an immensely respected brand,” Sharang Naicker further added.

“Tata Motors has time and again come forward to show its support to all kinds of sports and with this association, we commence our maiden journey into the Esports arena. The Indian Esports industry is growing at a very fast pace and is becoming a preferred choice of entertainment of young millennials and Gen Zs. At Tata Motors, we cater to the young and aspirational needs of our customers and electronically played sports are one such promising channel. We look forward to a fruitful association with the Yuvin Valorant Invitational and hope to encourage the growth of budding talent in this new age field.” Nikhil Kurian, Head – Digital Marketing, Tata Motors, PVBU commented.

Also read: We will support E-sports initiatives: Sisodia
 

New Delhi, Aug 31 (Esport news) Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says his government will back E-sports and encourage all initiatives that will help the sector grow.

"E-sports now is growing very fast. I am convinced that this deserves all the support and recognition. I promise that the Delhi government will encourage Esports in every possible manner.

Also read: ESPL, India’s first ever franchise based Esports league brings Infinix Mobile on board as title sponsor

"We will be happy to encourage all the initiatives that will help the industry and the sector to grow," he said on the closing day of the inaugural E-sports Premier League here on Monday night.

Mumbai Marshals emerged as champions in the inaugural edition of the the country's first-ever franchise-based E-sports league. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi (Esports news): History is being made as the country's first ever franchise based E sports league, the Esports Premier League(ESPL) has partnered with smartphone maker Infinix Mobile as the title sponsor for its first edition with a target to revolutionise the Esports in the nation and bring its thrilling ride to the mainstream audience through the nationwide tournament. The tournament wants access into the growing field of esports in the country to help the competitive gaming community. This segment has achieved a spectacular boost in the previous year as an increasing number of users are spending time on smartphones for gaming.

Aiming to give Esports ecosystem in India a complete shift and helping develop Esports and gaming in the Indian market with the never seen top notch event, India Today Group, which has forayed into esports, is ready to roll out Season 1 of the league from June 16. The league has a massive total prize pool worth Rs 25 lakhs. It has associated with Garena to create an exclusive gaming platform for Free Fire, the most popular battle royale game currently played by gamers and gaming enthusiasts in India. ESPL will allow players from every nook and corner of the country to showcase their skills on this mega national stage for the first time. The league will be available on multiple platforms including OTT giant Disney+ Hotstar as well as the official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak along with their websites.

ESPL is planning to be the largest platform to discover and help new gaming talent grow across India. As part of the strategy to push gaming to the mainstream, ESPL will give out all the 8 teams and their players a lot of media coverage across various media platforms including digital, print, TV, and more. This will aid in upcoming esports professionals gaining fame and stardom on par with other conventional sports. While talking about the launch of Esports Premier League (ESPL) and its association with Infinix Mobile, India Today Group Vice Chairperson, Kalli Purie said: “This pandemic and the resultant lockdown have contributed to propelling the esports industry into mainstream entertainment. India Today’s Gaming and Esports platform will provide a thrilling experience to its users through a wide range of games, online tournaments, and an opportunity to win exciting prizes. These are very exciting times as smartphone usage continues to grow exponentially and I believe the partnership with Infinix Mobile will help us intensify our mission of taking Esports to the next level in India.”

Also read:  Why esports will be a part of the Olympic Games in the near future

With the pandemic and lockdown still going on, ESPL will be held as a virtual tournament in its opening edition and consist of more than 700 online matches with about 300 plus hours of streaming. The Hong Kong based smartphone company, Infinix Mobile is keen on staying up to date when it comes to the latest and greatest in technology with its upcoming, Note 10 line up of devices.

“The Indian online gaming industry is growing at a rate of almost 27% per annum and is estimated to reach $2.8B by 2022. The current pandemic situation has further fuelled the growth of the gaming industry in India. At Infinix, we are part of this revolution by making devices for the mid-range segment that is feature-rich and enhance the users gaming experience, to further amplify the gaming capability of a user our R&D has developed a technology called Darlink which optimizes and improves the performance of a device on several parameters. Our partnership with India Today for the Esports Premier League is just another step towards achieving the same goal. We look forward to a fruitful association and intend to encourage budding talent in this field,” Mr. Anish Kapoor, CEO of Infinix Mobile said while announcing the association.

About Esports Premier League 2021

The India Today Group marquee property ESPL is coming with their inaugural edition of
the league and have included some exclusive zing to India’s first ever franchise based Esports league. The league has teamed up with Garena’s game Free Fire which is geared up to roll out from June 16. The tournament will see close to 100 teams competing in the initial two levels while the best eight teams will progress into the grand finale. To participate in the league, gaming enthusiasts and gamers can register themselves on the India today gaming website.

About Infinix Mobile

Infinix Mobile is a Hong Kong based smartphone company founded in 2013. The brand was born after the French mobile manufacturer Sagem Wireless was acquired in 2011. The company has research and development centres spreading between France and Korea and designs its phones in France. The brand seizes to become the most advanced, consumer favourite international mobile communications brand the world has ever seen. Infinix mobile phones are manufactured and are available in Asia and in about 30 countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria and Algeria. The company is very proud to be a part of the Make In India initiative. Infinix is also the main sponsor of the Indian Super League team Mumbai City FC and they partnered with Esports Premier League 2021 with India Today Group to foster the esports ecosystem in India and leverage the power of the mobile first gaming ecosystem of the country

(Esports news) The Tokyo Olympics has been a resounding success, despite being the most unique Olympic Games in history. Not just because of no spectators in the stadium, stringent rules, masked officials but also for the inclusion of many sports that would have been unimaginable a decade ago such as skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing. It’s clear as day that the International Olympic Committee is looking to make this legendary sporting competition more appealing to the youth, and the inclusion of a few new sports is just the first step in reducing the age of the Olympics’ audience.

The success of three new sports at the Tokyo Olympics is a promising step in uncharted territory for the IOC, and it’s positive reception will undoubtedly give them the confidence to pursue other non-traditional sports, especially one that’s played in the virtual world. Esports has been more popular now than ever before, and regularly attracts millions of viewers from across the globe, a perfect impetus that the Olympic Games needs. According to a report by games and esports data company Newzoo, it is estimated that broadcast revenue can surpass over a billion dollars in 2021 and its growth has no ceiling. Why would the International Olympic Committee not want to capitalize on this lucrative opportunity?

It’s already clear that the IOC is warming up to the idea of having esports in the Olympic Games with the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series being held before the Tokyo Olympics where participants competed in five sport simulation competitions — cycling, sailing, auto racing, rowing and baseball. As time goes by, esports as an industry will undoubtedly get more and more difficult to ignore as gaming will continue to become an integral part of the upcoming generations’ childhoods. If the Olympic Games is serious about remaining relevant with the times we live in, the inclusion of esports is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

For those who wonder why gaming is now considered a sport, some of the most popular esports titles in the world are games of skill, strategy, talent, physical and mental fitness just like any other sport there is. Esports in a professional setting is far beyond a recreational hobby and it can take decades for aspiring esports players to make it professional. The inclusion of esports might have it’s fair share of complications with the Olympic Games’ values, as many of them feature violent content and the titles are owned by third parties, but if the biggest sporting event in the world wishes to remain relevant for the foreseeable future, the path ahead is fairly straightforward.

Also read: Gaming content industry is experiencing an influx of female creators in India

(Esports news) With the current COVID-19 situation and people confined to their homes, it’s no secret that the global esports industry is thriving like never before. Popular multiplayer games such as PUBG (now BGMI), Free Fire, Counter Strike, Valorant, Fortnite etc are the new craze amongst both male and female gamers. Despite the esports industry and gaming content creation largely being a male dominated space, more and more women are now engaging in professional esports across ages, geographical locations and socio-economic conditions.

Associated with Trinity Gaming, a number of women who are professional gamers are now competing alongside their male counterparts in a healthy and engaging way and taking esports to new heights to engage with a wider audience.



Sanjana Bhattacharya aka iamBLACKHORSE

My name is Sanjana Bhattacharya and I go by the gaming name BLACKHORSE. I have been a content creator and a streamer on YouTube for almost 4 years now and it has to be the most magical journey I have ever been on with so much to learn and so many experiences to gain. I currently have a family of 185k+ subscribers on my YouTube channel iamBLACKHORSE and I love to call them my team black fam. My subscribers are my biggest supporters and they encourage me every day to get up and work 2 times harder than the previous day.



Pooja Bisht

My name is Pooja Bisht. I have been streaming for 2 years. I play PC games like GTA 5 RP, Valorant, Apex and many more. I play games for fun. I have collaborated with multiple brands like AORUS, Gigabyte, Booyah, AMD. I currently have a family of 46.8k+ subscribers on my YouTube channel. I really want to try BGMI and definitely want to explore more PC games for more exposure in the gaming ecosystem. I want other gamers to define a player with the skills and strategy they put in the game and not gender.



Sakshi Sood

Sakshi is a 21-year-old gaming content creator, she does unboxing videos of any new graphics card in collaboration with MSI. She is also supported by Redbull. She also worked with Zotac as well and made some vlogs too. She recently released the first episode from a series she is making on “My journey as a gamer to a streamer”. Her future plan is to try out new games, expand her selection of games by trying out unpopular games. She also wanted to raise awareness among female gamers and encourage them to try out new games to play and stream. She currently has a family of 1,53,797 subscribers on her Facebook Gaming channel.



Kangkana Talukdar aka Mystic Ignite

Kangkana aka Mystic Ignite is a 22-year-old gaming content creator who wants to become one of the best female esports players in India and you all will find her playing games with her followers. She is very talkative, so one of her friends suggested that she stream and interact with the public as she loves being funny most of the time and the suggestion turned out to be the catalyst in the growth of her career. She currently has a family of 65,000 followers on her Facebook Gaming channel.



Aparna Shukla aka Annie

Aparna is a 26-year-old gaming content creator; she wants to explore every new game with her audience. She does content creation around everything like unboxing, collaboration with other gamers, branding etc. In a short period of time, she attracted a good amount of audience with her skills. She aims to explore each and every game in her league and loves interacting with the audience and plays with her followers. Aparna currently has a family of 21 lakh plus followers on her Facebook Gaming channel “Rogstream”.



Anjali Roy aka Unicorn IB

Anjali is a 21-year-old gaming content creator who loves exploring more games and interacting with her audience. She has proved to be a great example of female gamers. Despite facing online bullying on the gaming front, she continues to grow with the support of her family and friends. She currently has a family of 1.3 lakh followers on her Facebook Gaming channel.

Article attribution: Shivam Rao, Co-Founder & COO, Trinity Gaming

Also read: How relevant Esports are now and to the future?

Can Esports events ever be as big as a Superbowl or ICC World Cup? The answer is that they already are. Esporting finals fill entire stadiums and arenas with audiences and the events sell out within hours. Fans pay for and log on to streaming services just to watch their favourite gamers practice. However there is still a lot of debate surrounding whether or not Esports actually count as sports at all.

One of the main concerns that traditional sporting fans have is that Esports athletes don’t have to maintain physical fitness to be good and there is no real movement. Some contend that a sports performance, the result of the athlete's mind and body interacting – such as a golfer swinging a club and striking the ball – must be included in the definition of sport. What these people don’t know is that to be a successful professional gamer athletes have to have reaction speeds similar to that of major league baseball players and NHL goalies. Their movement on keyboards and equipment reflect those of high level musicians. The cortisol they produce is much like that of a NASCAR driver. Their heartbeats can go up to 160-180 beats per minute.

In Esports, the body and physical activity play a different role. In hand-eye coordination, for example, the body is not involved beyond connection with the input device and game software. However, recent years have seen popular acceptance of mental sports such as chess, as well as the growing importance of technology-assisted components of other sports, such as motor sports. Then there are also VR headset games that require proper body movement to play.

A gamer can even incur injuries if they don’t take care. Gamers are frequently affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel, which connects the nerves in your arm and hand, can become narrow, limiting your range of motion. You may also get discomfort in your hand. If your condition worsens, your hand will eventually become weaker. Tennis elbow can be acquired without ever setting foot on a tennis court. It can also be acquired while playing video games. The tendon that allows your fingers to extend can be damaged by the repetitive motion of gaming. You will experience pain in your elbow and forearm, which may extend down your arm. Gamers often complain about neck, shoulder and back pain which is common to any other sport. They even experience retina fatigue.

Professional gamers have now started having proper coaches and fitness regimens because they have noticed an increase in level of performance by exercising and so now they do it regularly. They eat healthy and understand the importance of good sleep and mental health for their performance. Colleges have started to provide equal scholarship programmes for both regular and eSports which means they are required to maintain a minimum grade average in their studies to be allowed to participate. They even get athletics visas to travel internationally for such events.

There is a huge following for Esports. Esports professional players have close and personalised relationships with their fans like no other sport. Twitch is an online streaming app that allows gamers to broadcast their game to viewers all over the world anytime and for however long. Fans watch for free or pay to subscribe to and support their favourite athletes. There is big money in the sport and huge promotional deals. Motorsports gaming is probably the closest online counterpart to the real sport and during the pandemic many young and experienced drivers participated in online championships to keep their fans entertained. If anything, the pandemic heightened the need to push esports and gave it the momentum it needed to get the respect it deserves.

There has recently been a lot of talk to include Esports in Olympics and one of the concerns that has come forward is that Esports don't share the values of regular sports but they couldn’t be more wrong. Many argue that video games don't build character the way sports do but esports athletes playing these sports have to develop their communication skills, teamwork, leadership, and strategic thinking. These people that practice all by themselves in a lonely setting find this sense of community and belonging, a place where they are appreciated in a life which otherwise might not be very happening.



Another point that people bring up is games such as Call of Duty promote violence and delinquency. That only happens when there is no one watching. Any sport can be toxic and violent if there is no disciplinarian present. It isn’t like the Olympics doesn’t already host other combat sports such as boxing and wrestling; sports that inflict real physical pain. Structure is what elevates sports. If the Olympics is able to provide set rules and regulations for participants to follow it would only promote sportsmanship and respect for other players. Already many organisations exist that look over Esports and that are present at big e-sporting events to maintain code of conduct and the rules of the games. Video games also provide the rare opportunity for co-ed competition. In certain cases even disabled players can compete on the same level as able-players.

Newer audiences wonder if there are spectacular sporting moments in Esports. They doubt they will be as entertained or as engaged as they are with regular sports and there is only one way to find out. It is by experiencing them. Video games are engaging and they do leave you on the edge of your seat just like any other sport. You can never predict who is going to win a game and you can get very surprised by the turn of events. Just like any other sport, players recognize their opponents talents and learn to respect them.

The adjective "competitive" is essential in the IOC judgement; an analogy might be the difference between a morning run in the park and a race. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recognised the importance of a competitive aspect - “the winning or losing” of an event held in accordance with a set of rules. Competitive Esports are required to check that box. Indeed, because the computer software driving an eSport game eliminates the subjective and potentially inaccurate input of a referee or judge, one can also claim that it is a competition, but one that is more fair.

However, while Esport provides opportunities for sport, it also creates obstacles. To comprehend these difficulties, one must first acknowledge the significant relevance of intellectual property in modern sport. In eSport, ethical and disciplinary issues have already surfaced. Verbal abuse appears to be rather widespread. For example, after a history of verbal abuse, the athlete Christian "IWillDominate" Rivera was banned from participating for a year. Match-fixing has made its presence felt once again. Four Counter-Strike players from North America have been suspended.

Furthermore, performance-enhancing medications are said to be widely used. The International eSports Federation (IeSF) signed the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Code to make it clear that it also applies to the eSports business, although the IeSF has a small membership and may never acquire popularity. Several high-profile athletes were said to have withdrawn from a Galaxy Battles II event planned in Manila in January 2018 due to the Philippines' Games and Amusements Board requiring stringent drug testing. As a result, the tournament's status as a Major on the Pro Circuit was revoked.

Getting into Esports is by no means cheap but it is very inexpensive when compared to regular sports. Esports however does bring something to the table most other sports don't, which is that it prepares its players for STEM careers. There is a future for them after they decide to retire from gaming. They can go into game development, coding, technology and others. They can go on to have a successful future even after their gaming careers are over. There have been studies that found that surgeons who play video games make 37% fewer errors.

The parallels between sport and Esport are undeniable. Both are competitive sports that require ability, training, and judgement. Fans are hooked by both in a passionate and emotional way. Both are grassroots and elite organizations. Both have big events that are supported by commercial programmes. Both have their own media outlets or channels. Events can be staged in front of big audiences in enormous auditoriums and locations. It's all about how we perceive it and how open minded we are to the possibility of making Esports feel included. It will keep getting bigger regardless. It is more hands on and engaging especially for the youth. These games promote people to make friends from all across the world and play against each other without ever having met. It is something anyone can do from the vicinity of their homes and very easily too. It is on a momentum of its own. We have the choice; we can  either be ignorant or we can be supportive and help elevate Esports.

Also read: Esports industry in India expected to grow quadruple in size by 2025: EY report

New Delhi: In the latest esports news, India's first-ever one-stop online esports platform, Ultimate Battle (UB), announced today that it is all set to host exciting tournaments for the recently-launched game- Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on their platform.

With a goal to boost the esports and gaming ecosystem in India, UB has launched this exclusive Indian game on its platform. While the entire focus of esports is tilted to online with the absence of local area network (LAN) events due to the current pandemic, the competitions will help the esports players and their roster to begin their grind and prepare for national and international tournaments.

India's most famous esports platform Ultimate Battle, which has been the spot for enjoying and playing many action-packed games with high-end graphics and has  integrated over ten esports title games to their platform, with BGMI, this exclusively crafted game will increase the growth of mobile gaming in the country and the game will leverage the power of the mobile-first gaming culture of the nation.

With the participation from both casual gamers and professionals, it also features a ranking system as part of the automated leaderboard based on the performances of the athletes and the champions will be awarded exciting prize money.

Exciting Features for BGMI players:

Tournaments: BR events will be hosted every hour so players can enjoy competitive gameplay at any time.

Leaderboards: Play daily and rake up your Ranking to get rewards.

Redeem Shop: Players will be able to get in-game items and more by collecting UB Coins by playing games on UB.

“At Ultimate Battle we are very excited to launch BGMI on our platform which is an exclusive Indian game as we strive to provide the esports community with the gaming events, content, and more through our online esports platform which caters to more than 3,00,000 registered gamers. The pre-registration phase has already marked a great success with 40 million Indian gamers which will continue to grow. We will host multiple online tournaments as it's the favourite game among the Indian gamers which is making a much-awaited coming back. We'll also be looking into adding BGMI to our flagship tournament All India Esports league (AIEL), which will be launched this month," said Mr. Tarun Gupta, Founder, Ultimate Battle.

New Delhi, June 8, 2021: The Esports Premier League (ESPL), India’s first-ever franchise-based Esports league, has teamed up with smartphone maker Infinix Mobile as the title sponsor for its debut edition with an objective to revolutionise Esports in the nation and popularize it through a countrywide tournament. The tournament is looking forward to tapping into the growing landscape of esports in India to help the competitive gaming community. This segment got a major boost in the last year as an increasing number of users are using smartphones for gaming.

In order to give the Indian Esports ecosystem a complete makeover and increase Esports and gaming in the Indian market with the forthcoming top-class tournament, India Today Group, is all set to roll out Season 1 of the tournament from June 16. The league will feature a massive total prize pool worth Rs 25 lakhs. It has partnered with Garena to build an exclusive gaming platform for Free Fire—the most famous battle royale game currently played by gaming enthusiasts and gamers in the nation. The league will enable players from all over the country to showcase their talent on this national platform for the first time. ESPL will be streamed on several platforms including OTT giant Disney+ Hotstar along with the official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak and their websites.

ESPL intends to be the biggest stage to find and nurture new gaming talent across the country. ESPL will provide all the 8 teams and their players' comprehensive media coverage across various media platforms including digital, print, TV, etc as part of the endeavor to bring gaming to the mainstream and will help upcoming esports professionals get fame and stardom on par with other conventional sports.

While talking about the launch of Esports Premier League (ESPL) and its association with Infinix Mobile, India Today Group Vice Chairperson, Kalli Purie said: “This pandemic and the resultant lockdown have contributed to propelling the esports industry into mainstream entertainment. India Today’s Gaming and Esports platform will provide a thrilling experience to its users through a wide range of games, online tournaments, and an opportunity to win exciting prizes. These are very exciting times as smartphone usage continues to grow exponentially and I believe the partnership with Infinix Mobile will help us intensify our mission of taking Esports to the next level in India.”

Due to the current pandemic and lockdown, ESPL will be contested as a virtual tournament in its inaugural edition and feature more than 700 online games with about 300 plus hours of streaming.

“The Indian online gaming industry is growing at a rate of almost 27% per annum and is estimated to reach $2.8B by 2022. The current pandemic situation has further fuelled the growth of the gaming industry in India. At Infinix, we are part of this revolution by making devices for the mid-range segment that is feature-rich and enhance the users gaming experience, to further amplify the gaming capability of a user our R&D has developed a technology called Darlink which optimizes and improves the performance of a device on several parameters. Our partnership with India Today for the Esports Premier League is just another step towards achieving the same goal. We look forward to a fruitful association and intend to encourage budding talent in this field,” Mr. Anish Kapoor, CEO of Infinix Mobile said while announcing the association in a press release.

The tournament, which will be held over a period of two and a half months, will consist of initial two levels to screen the best eight teams which advance into the grand finale representing eight cities across India including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

New Delhi, Jun 2 India's first-ever tri-nation Invitational Valorant Championship -- 'Rise of Legends 2021' that also features teams from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- will begin on Thursday.

Hosted by the country's leading game streaming and eSports platform Rooter, the eight-day tournament will see participation from 16 top teams from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Released globally in June last year, Valorant is a free-to-play multiplayer tactical first-person shooter developed and published by Riot Games, California.

Players play as one of a set of agents having unique abilities, characters designed based on several countries and cultures around the world.

In the main game mode, players are assigned to either the attacking or defending team with each team having five players on it. New source PTI 

New Delhi, May 18The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has collaborated with online gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) to develop a mobile version of a shooting game, hoping that it evokes interest among masses for the real sport outside the virtual world.

The game is slated to be released on August 15. It is a simulator style, non-violent shooting game with International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) style trap and skeet formats.

The NRAI will also organize, COVID-19 pandemic permitting, hybrid tournaments around Independence Day where the best virtual shooters will be selected for training by prominent shooting champions in India.

"We are pleased to be developing a non-violent Olympic-style shooting game with MPL. We will use this shooting simulator game to create interest, educate and train an audience of millions of internet users about the physical sport of shooting," said NRAI president Raninder Singh.

"We will also be hosting tournaments where the best virtual shooters get a chance to compete and participate in physical shooting. Online engagement will feed into offline interest, which in turn will open the doors of our sport to many more Indians," he added.

The NRAI also welcomed the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recent esports push to bridge the gap between physical and virtual sports.

The recent announcement by the IOC to partner with five international sports federations and game publishers to launch the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) is being seen as a welcome move for the Indian Esports industry.

This will be the first e-shooting game where the virtual game will adhere to the rules and principles set by the IOC and the ISSF.

To be held ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the OVS will begin on May 13 and end on June 23.

The OVS will mobilise esports enthusiasts from all around the world to reach a new Olympic audience.

"We welcome the IOC's move to introduce virtual esport versions of real world physical sport in the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series. We are sure this will encourage people to take up these sports virtually and potentially chart a way for them to emerge as champions in the physical sport," said Raninder.

NRAI believes that virtual versions of Olympic-style shooting sports will help evoke interest among the masses and could serve as a gateway to people looking to enter the real sport.

Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang said, "India has never had a dearth of talent in shooting, and the recently concluded World Cup is a strong validation of the potential.

"As I have realised, technology is increasingly playing an important role in improving player performances, and amplifying the experience.

"Initiatives as envisioned by NRAI and ably supported by MPL will not only enhance player engagement, but critically increase fan awareness about competitive sports. India needs many more such interventions across sports," he added.

Industry data shows that there is a lot of appetite for target shooting games in India, especially for a mobile-first audience. On MPL alone, since November 2020, over 17 million gameplays were recorded for MPL's target shooting titles, with 13 million alone coming from its archery game.

Sai Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of MPL, which aims to take esports to the masses via mobile, said, "This is a monumental step taken by IOC to introduce the first ever Olympic-licensed virtual series.

"NRAI was already a first mover in recognising the potential for e-shooting. Esports has witnessed a meteoric rise in India over the past few years and is recognised as a proper sporting career path in many regions of the world.

"An IOC-approved tournament announced before the Olympics will certainly help Esports get its due and encourage people to consider it as a professional option." News Source : PTI