(Esports news): World Esports Cup (WEC '21), South East Asia’s tri-nation esports tournament will be conducted between gamers from India, Pakistan and Nepal. The objective of the World Esports Cup will be to give gamers an opportunity to represent one’s own country, something not everyone gets to do quite often in the esports community in the South Asia region in one of the most popular Battle Royale games. The tournament will have a huge prize pool of $100k (INR 75 lakhs approx). Smartphone maker Infinix Smartphones is the title sponsor for the inaugural edition as the registration of WEC’21 will begin on Saturday, 23rd October 2021 as the athletes from across the three regions can register themselves till November 23.

Esports athletes from India, Pakistan and Nepal will get the chance to compete virtually in open qualifiers to take a shot at becoming the champion of the region. While talking about the launch of World Esports Cup (WEC), WEC Director, Vishwalok Nath said: “We all know how intense it becomes when it comes to any India-Pakistan match and we want fans to witness this epic clash in esports as well. The World Esports Cup will also aim to connect the gamers and gaming community from the South Asian Countries in one platform which will be a first of its kind initiative.”

The tournament, which will be played over a period of three months, in the beginning will have rounds of two open and closed qualifiers across three regions to screen the best 24 squads from each country. Then, those countries will battle out to get their best 12 squads which will lead them to finals which will feature their top 4 squads. In the Grand Finals, top 4 squads from India, Pakistan and Nepal will display their strategies, coordination and tactical skills to decide the top teams from the region. The tournament will be live streamed on official YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak along with their websites.

Mr Nath further added regarding its association with Infinix Smartphones, “Mobile gaming with the advent of economical and more advanced smartphone technology has clearly pushed the esports ecosystem to a much wider audience, tapping the still untapped markets across the region and I believe our partnership with Infinix Smartphones consecutive for the second IP property is a strong indication of the potential that WEC brings forth. We are expecting a phenomenal response for this Tri-Nation tournament.”

In its inaugural edition WEC will witness 33+ Days of streaming. The Hong Kong based smartphone giant, Infinix Smartphones is geared up with multiple upgrades and innovations specifically designed to give a mindblowing and exceptional gaming experience with Dar Link game boost technology, which increases the gaming interaction and visual experience in heavy-duty Games like Free Fire.

We at Infinix are working to provide the best gaming experience to our customers with our value driven product offerings. We want to give more power to gamers and make gaming-focused smartphones available for everyone, even for those from the remotest areas of the nation. We have been focusing on R&D like never before and are constantly trying to better ourselves with each product that we bring to the market. Our indigenous DarLink game-boost technology is just one proof of our efforts in this direction. With this partnership, we aim to open doors and give new platforms to the growing gaming talent in India. We are confident that Indian players will not only win but will also encourage the Indian gaming pool in a global platform like WEC. Mr. Anish Kapoor, CEO of Infinix Smartphones said while announcing the association.

While Esports is now a medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games as well as few other upcoming Asian Championships in the near future. It is expected to see a full fledged induction in Paris Olympics in 2024. WEC’21 aims to play the role of a catalyst to develop, support and grow the Esports ecosystem in India and its neighbouring countries and get esports recognized as a mainstream sport. To participate in the league, gaming enthusiasts and gamers above 16 can register themselves on: https://www.itg.gg/.

Also read: Team India CS:GO and Tekken7 star Hitesh Khorwal secure berth at 13th Esports World Championship Global Finals 

New Delhi, (Esports news): India’s five-member Team CS:GO and Tekken 7 athlete Hitesh Khorwal put up a spectacular show at the Regional Qualifiers and confirmed their places in the Finals of the 13th Esports World Championship. 

With positive results in the Regional Qualifiers, which were played online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Team India CS:GO and Hitesh have now joined Hemanth Kommu, who has already entered Finals in PES 2021 event last month. 

Team India CS:GO, comprising skipper Ritesh Sarda, Shuvajyoti Chakraborty, Anshul Adardkar, Hrishikesh Shenoy and Harsh Jain, were on top throughout the event. Their out of the box strategies and unmatched skills left the opponent in a maze as they remained unbeaten in their respective group. 

“We are really happy that we made it out of a really competitive South Asian qualifier for the tournament. It’s an honour to be part of Team India at a global level and represent India at the prestigious Esports Championship. It’s a dream come true for all of us and full credit for this feat goes to all my team members. A special note of thanks to ESFI for helping our team get the passports in time; the whole process from the qualifiers to travel formalities have been such a smooth experience; we look forward to getting a medal and make India proud,” Team India CS:GO captain Ritesh expressed his excitement ahead of the World Championships Finals.

“Representing one’s country is not what everyone gets to do that quite often, It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We are all honoured that we have been placed an opportunity to do the same and prove to the world along with the Indian audience that through sheer strength and determination, we are capable of accomplishing what other countries have done in Esports” Ritesh added while expressing his thoughts on getting the opportunity to represent India in the world finals. 

On the other hand, Hitesh aka rcool, who hails from Delhi, faced stern tests from his opponents as he ended his campaign at the third position. However, the Indian still progressed into the Finals after the first-placed Pakistani athlete “Arslan” pulled out from the Championship following the Regional Qualifiers stage.   

“This moment gives me a sense of accomplishment and honour that my diligence and commitment finally paid off. NESC was an apex event of Tekken since it showcased all the titans and goliaths of India so there was a little sense of uncertainty but I had ample confidence in hard work and dexterity. NESC as I envisioned, was a tough grind and winning it was a momentous achievement for me. Regional Qualifiers which followed after the NESC also was a huge test of ability as all of my competitors were masters of their trade. It was a great opportunity to test my expertise and overall, it was an exhilarating and revitalizing experience.” said Hitesh aka rcool

“The Finals will be a portentous evaluation of my skill but I have a firm belief in my zeal and hard work. It is a challenge which was awaited by me and I feel more than ready to take it” he added when asked about the finals in Israel. 

In the Regional Qualifiers India were put in the South Asian region alongside Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The Finals of the prestigious tournament will be held offline in Eilat, Israel from November 14 to 19.

Also read: Social networking app for Indian gamers set to launch in October

With the gaming and esports industry on the rise a mobile networking platform for the community has never been more relevant than it is today. In India, the esports sector still has a long way to go but an integral part in the development of this industry is to strengthen the community and build a viable gaming ecosystem.

To know more about this, Mr Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Qlan spoke exclusively to SPOGO about creating a platform for the esports/gaming community, contributing towards the growth of the industry, providing a solution to the issues prevailing within the esports community, the functioning and tech implementation of Qlan, helping aspiring gamers get access to job opportunities and his future goals. 

Q 1) As one of the co-founders of QLAN, what motivated you to create a one-stop networking platform that would be dedicated to the esports/gaming community?

It was with our first initiative in the industry. We started interacting with the gaming and esports community on a daily basis through The Times of Esports. Gamers, pro and aspiring esports athletes, esports orgs and businesses engaged in this space. With each conversation, we realised that there are a lot of unanswered questions that are visible barriers to the overall growth and advancement of various stakeholders in this space.

We started answering these questions backed by a lot of targeted interactions within the community, months of research and analysis, surveys and lastly an extensive understanding of the platforms that already exist and gamers actively use.

We realised a digital platform that offers problem-solving features and brings together every stakeholder with an intent to create and exchange value is the way to go, and that’s how Qlan was born.   

Q 2) How is QLAN contributing towards the growth of the esports industry?

It is a well-known fact that the Indian gaming and esports industry is on a swift upward trajectory. Be it the number of gamers, brands and companies operating currently, in tandem with a massive rise in gaming-focused start-ups and game publishers, the Indian gaming scene is set to witness an exponential rise.

However, it is in the nascent stage that a foundation can be laid. With Qlan, what we aim to do is create a robust and sustainable ecosystem that enables and empowers everyone seeking entry and progress in this space. Qlan will enable gamers, content creators, skilled professionals, esports squads and orgs to make connections seamlessly. Gamers meeting gamers and creating Squads, gaming orgs to scout for their new rosters, a targeted and receptive audience for gaming content creators and a willing user base for tournament organizers to market their tournaments and IPs and lastly skilled professionals like designers, developers, coaches, analysts and more that are an integral part of the community will be able to access career and job opportunities. 

This cohesive system, once in place, will develop into a well-oiled gaming-only community creating varied opportunities, ensuring overall growth.  

Q3) What are the issues that are currently prevailing in the esports community and where does QLAN fit in as a solution to those problems?

Existing issues can be summed up into these broad buckets: 

Credible connections: Qlan’s AI-enabled matchmaking feature will ensure impeccable connections among gamers, it is one of the platform's USPs.

Lack of recognition: The community is very vocal about their need for the recognition that they deserve, Qlan is a platform that will recognize and showcase the skills and qualifications of all the entities that are a part of Qlan. If you’re a gamer, a content creator, a caster, a team manager or any other role that exists in the community, you will be able to show that to the world. 

Showcasing skills: Gamers can sync their in-game statistics of 10+ games across mobile, PC & Console on their Qlan profile. With each gamer's true skills on display, Qlan aims to be the go-to platform for gamers to find the right match, to connect, team up or compete with, and in the future get scouted by larger orgs. 

Qlan will also empower the community with an easy to create CV within the app which can also be downloaded offline. 

Fragmented community: The idea with Qlan is a thriving and collaborative community where each stakeholder coexists. Create purpose-driven connections and facilitate overall development.

Also read: Mental health is a top priority as it helps me perform at a higher level - Indian shuttler Saneeth Dayanand

Q 4) How does the QLAN platform function and what kind of tech is integrated to build a platform such as this?

Think of Qlan as any other social networking platform that is available and used today, but dedicated to gamers and esports enthusiasts. They’ll find it easier and more relevant to navigate through and find value in. 

The app is built on react native and will rely heavily on AI and ML to forge a deeper understanding of our users to deliver a tailored experience. The data will also allow us to roll out exactly those features and integrations that our users will want in the future. 

Q 5) How does QLAN help aspiring players discover a job and career opportunities in esports gaming?

We plan on launching our dedicated Jobs feature in our future updates. Jobs on Qlan will be a two-step process for job providers to put their requirements and job seekers to apply to those with just a single click.

Q 6) What are some of your future goals and ambitions with QLAN? How do you plan to accomplish them?

Qlan envisions becoming the most trusted and secured platform for the gaming and esports community in the coming days. This will only be achieved by meeting our immediate milestones, starting with a well-executed launch and finding the product-market fit. 

The future will be a combined effort of our vision and what our users want. Our efforts here are to reach out to as many stakeholders as possible, gamers, developers, publishers and orgs and take their feedback in order to solidify our product; Qlan - The Gamer's Social Network,  suggestions as inclusive and impactful as possible will always be welcomed.

(Esports news) With a vision to change the social networking among Indian and global gamers, gaming professionals, content creators and gaming organizations as well as for the brands which are looking to invest in gaming. Qlan’s public beta will find its way in the fourth week of October. Through this one-stop platform, the focus will be on improving the way key stakeholders in the gaming and esports community meet, play and get discovered.

Qlan is specially built to solve the grass root issues in the gaming community. This genre-specific platform will help the gamers to make verified connections with other gamers, support creators to grow and monetize their content, aid gaming organizations to reach a targeted audience and allow the professionals to seek job and career opportunities, all these facilities will now come under a single ecosystem.  

The dedicated social networking app for gamers will also enable the esports, gaming communities and brands to connect with each other without hassles and facilitate the creation of an industry complementing gaming ecosystem. 

“At Qlan we dedicated several months on research and surveyed over 5,000 gamers to garner insights to better understand their problems. This is what encouraged us to build a dedicated platform for the gaming and esports community. Gamers communicate differently, they need to showcase themselves on a purpose-driven platform, whether they’re looking to go pro with esports contracts and celebrity-style “partner” streaming agreements or just looking for their next gig as a gaming professional. Qlan is built with a focused vision on creating a robust and sustainable gaming and esports ecosystem starting in India then world over,” said Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Qlan. 

The app is a one-stop solution to:

1. Create custom Solo, Squad & Org profiles 
2. Showcase gaming skills by syncing in-game statistics 
3. Access AI enabled gamer matchmaking for verified connections
4. Share gaming & esports content with an option to monetize early 
5. Promote esports tournaments & IPs to a target audience
6. Get recognized & discovered as an esports/gaming professional 

While commenting on the app, Co-Founder & CBO, Navin Talreja, said, “We saw how the absence of a professional esports hub limits the overall growth of the gaming ecosystem. We reached out and spoke to 40+ gaming organisations in India to understand their pain points. The need for them to get access to and engage with a targeted audience is higher than ever, with the clutter across existing platforms. The barriers are immense for gaming content creators to monetize their work which is something Qlan will actively address. Gaming is much bigger than just going pro and Qlan will facilitate a place for gamers, creators and orgs to bond over their passion for gaming and bolster their universes.”

Qlan envisions becoming the top platform for the gaming and esports community in the coming days. They’re currently building an early access waitlist which has already seen over 10,000 sign-ups within a span of two weeks.

Also read: Who says esports is for the young? Meet Matagi Snipers, a pro esports team in Japan made entirely of senior citizens

(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