Chennai, October 21, 2024: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Trophy 2024 State Games witnessed the historic debut of Esports as a demonstration event with the finals held on Sunday. From young aspirants to seasoned players, Esports provided a chance for all to show their talent across eight popular games, including EA FC24, NBA 2K25, Real Cricket 2024, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), eChess, F1 2024, Street Fighter 6, and Pokemon Unite, with the top 110 from over 5000 hopefuls reaching the grand finals.
In the highly-anticipated BGMI final, Faith Esports defeated Fatality, the champions for the first state nationals, to emerge top of the pile. Meanwhile, Raven Esports finished third in the tournament, rounding out the podium.
The esports competitions were held across three rounds. The pre-qualifiers, which were open to all, took place online, where participants competed from their homes. The fiercely competitive second round was conducted at a gaming cafe in Nungambakkam, while finals were hosted at JNS H Block. The SDAT hosted the event with the support of technical partners Skyesports, the Esports Association of Tamil Nadu, and the Thamizh Esports Association.
“CM Trophy Games is one of its kind initiatives undertaken by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Games have within its ambit traditional, conventional, differently-abled and now esports. The state has been at the forefront of sports in the country and promoting esports is another step in sustaining its place as the national sporting powerhouse. The response has been very good since we first announced the event. Out of the 5070 registrations, 2000 participants made it to the qualifiers and 110 in the final,” said Thiru J. Meghanatha Reddy IAS., Member Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).
Nationally acclaimed Navin H swept through the competition to be crowned champion in the EA FC24 title. In Street Fighter 6, Bharat Mahtani took the top honours with a 3-0 victory in the final. Sarath VA, meanwhile, won the NBA 2k25 tournament, and Dilip reigned victorious in the F1 2024 title game. Hidden Leaf, Nikhil Magizhnan, and G Phanhi Kiran finished first in Pokemon Unite, eChess, and Real Cricket 2024, respectively.
The inclusion of esports in the CM’s Trophy Games allowed players to demonstrate their talent in front of their peers, regardless of gender, age, or status. Thirumurugan Velu, a 21-year-old para player from Thiruvallur, highlighted the event’s benefits, stating it empowered diverse participants to showcase their skills and passion for gaming.
Meanwhile, Navin H, who previously represented Chennaiyin FC in eISL and India in FIFA eNations, said, “It’s a very big thing for the youngsters. Since the government and everyone is involved, the growth is huge. For the youngsters coming up, they have scope in esports, they have a future.”
Esports enthusiasts and spectators alike celebrated the inclusion of this dynamic and rapidly growing sport with other mainstream disciplines, furthering the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s goal of promoting and nurturing grassroots talent.
