(Esports news) Team India displayed brilliant play to defeat Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal in the South Asian qualifiers and book their spot in the Asian Championships LAN Finals, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 10–17, 2023.
The star-studded team, which included captain Manav Kunte (mnz), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Abhishek Yadav (Abhi-), Shahbaz Hussain (PinkMaN), Krish Gupta (Krish’), and replacement Jaikishan Malik (KaEL), got off to the best start after easily defeating Pakistan by 54-12 and Sri Lanka by 39-14 on the first day. On Day 2 of the best-of-one matches, the squad increased its dominance by defeating both Bangladesh and Nepal with scores of 40-16 and 47-24, respectively.
Team India, which faced Nepal in the best-of-three finals, was at its best and won convincing victory in the first two rounds by scores of 34-27 and 36-34 to win the South Asian qualifiers and advance as the sole team from the area to the Asian qualifiers.
Expressing his feelings after securing the qualification, team captain Manav Kunte stated, “We came into the South Asian qualifiers with the goal of proving ourselves in the region and we are proud to have achieved that. Defeating all the teams from the region with stunning performances and securing our spot in the Asian Championship is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and unity of our team. We are now ready to face the best teams in Asia, and earn the spot to represent India at the 15th World Esports Championships.”
By defeating Team Mob in the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2023 finals, which were held earlier this year by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), the team earned a spot in the South Asian qualifiers. Vishal and Abhishek, two of the team’s most notable players, were additionally a member of the legendary DOTA 2 group that took home the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in 2022. They will now be trying to qualify for the 15th World Esports Championships (WEC) in Iasi from August 24 to September 4, 2023, against the top DOTA 2 teams from Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Mongolia, Australia, Jordan, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia.
“We are immensely proud of our Indian DOTA 2 team for their exceptional performance in the qualifiers, where they conquered all South Asian teams to secure their spot in the prestigious Asian Championship. Their victory not only showcases their talent and skill but also represents the dedication and hard work they have put into excelling as a unit. All of the Indian teams progressing through to the Asian qualifiers is a reflection of the immense potential our country possesses in the gaming industry. Everyone at ESFIs congratulates the team on their qualification and are looking forward to witnessing their amazing performances in the Asia LAN finals in Riyadh.,” said Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India.
India guaranteed a perfect performance at the South Asian regionals following the DOTA 2 team’s qualification, while the CS:GO male and female teams of the nation both advanced to the Asian Championship with outstanding performances.
Abhinav Tejan, a well-known Tekken 7 professional from the nation, and Ibrahim Gulrez, an eFootball athlete, have already qualified for the 15th WEC, which will feature at least 130 nations competing in eFootball, DOTA 2, Tekken 7, Mobile Legends, PUBG: Mobile, and CS:GO and boast a prize pool of $500,000 (INR 4.12 crore).
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