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Tag: Lokesh Suji

  • Asian Games 2022: India’s FIFA athletes depart for Hangzhou; Official draw for fixtures set to take place on 22 September

    Asian Games 2022: India’s FIFA athletes depart for Hangzhou; Official draw for fixtures set to take place on 22 September

    Mumbai: Poised to make their mark in one of the most prestigious multi-sport tournaments in the world, India’s FIFA stars S Charanjotingh and Karman Singh have departed for Hangzhou to compete in EA Sports FC Online at the upcoming Asian Games 2022 from 24 to 27 September.

    Having been featured as a demonstration event in 2018, Esports will be making its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the Asian Games 2022. The Esports event will be held in China Hangzhou Esports Centre from 24 September to 2 October, and the athletes will compete for gold medals in seven different titles.

    India, however, will be participating in four of the seven titles: DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. The official draw to determine the dates and opponents regarding the fixtures for all four titles will take place on 22 September.

    Expressing his feeling as the tournament approaches, Charanjot Singh said, “As the tournament draws nearer, it feels surreal that the dream of representing India at the Asian Games 2022 is finally becoming a reality. Both Karman and I have been training relentlessly to showcase our skills on this platform against the continent’s finest players. We are determined to make our country proud and bring home a historic medal.”

    The fixtures for EA Sports FC Online will be in the knockout format with the Grand Finals scheduled to be held on 27 September. A total of 34 athletes from 21 countries will battle it out for glory at the competition.

    “The Asian Games 2022 is a massive opportunity for Indian Esports to announce itself as a powerhouse on the global stage. I feel honored to be one of the first athletes carrying the nation’s flag at Esports’ maiden appearance as a medal sport at the tournament. We would like to thank ESFI for not just providing us with the opportunity to represent our country but also providing us with ample support including the best-in-class gaming gear to make sure we are ready to give our best in Hangzhou. We are ready to take on the tough competition and give our best to achieve success,” commented Karman Singh.

    Both athletes left their mark during the recently held seeding event for the Asian Games 2022, with Charanjot Singh securing the top seed in the South Asian region, while Karman Singh secured the fifth seed. The two athletes, who are renowned names in the global FIFA community, earned their places at the Asian Games 2022 by advancing to the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC), organised by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI).

    “With the Asian Games 2022 just around the corner, we are excited to witness the performances of our talented athletes who have put in remarkable efforts to reach this stage. Charanjot and Karman have both performed brilliantly in the seeding event and we are confident that they will replicate those performances in the main event to ensure India bags not one but two medals in EA Sports FC Online. Everyone at ESFI wishes them the best of luck in their pursuit of glory,” said Esports Federation of India & vice president of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) director Lokesh Suji.

    One of the country’s top sports & esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as their official communication partner.

    Following the commencement of EA Sports FC Online matches, the League of Legends fixtures will be held from 25 to 29 September, while the Street Fighter V: Champion Edition encounters are scheduled for 26 to 28 September. The DOTA 2 matchups are set to take place from 29 September to 2 October.

  • Team Top-G wins DOTA 2 NESC 2023

    Team Top-G wins DOTA 2 NESC 2023

    Mumbai: Displaying exceptional teamwork and stellar gameplay, Team Top-G prevailed in the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2023, organized by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), and qualified for the regional qualifiers of the Global Esports Games (GEG) 2023. The team will now battle it out against Malaysia and Mongolia in the regionals to secure their berth in the global finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Under the leadership of Manav Kunte (mnz), the squad comprising Krish Gupta (Krish-), Khaja Hussain (Pinkman), Ketan Goyal (Evil-ash), Vishal Vernekar (Hbk) and substitute Darshan Bata (A35) toppled The Mob by 2-0 in the best-of-three finals. Team Top-G had also represented India in the Asian qualifiers of DOTA 2 for the 15th World Esports Championships earlier this year.

    Expressing his enthusiasm for the victory, Top-G team captain Manav Kunte said, “Winning the NESC 2023 for the second time this year is a surreal feeling. Securing our spot in the regional qualifiers for GEG23 is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and skill set of every team member. We want to express our gratitude to ESFI for providing the platform for us to represent India on the global stage and we are determined to make our nation proud.”

    The first game of the finals witnessed both teams going neck-to-neck with Top-G edging out their opponents by 51-32 to take the lead. The second game however was thoroughly lopsided and Top-G comfortably overpowered The Mob by 24-6 to be crowned champions. The squad’s prominent players Vishal and Ketan were also part of the historic DOTA 2 team that clinched the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in 2022.

    “We congratulate Team Top-G on their brilliant performance in the NESC 2023. By successfully qualifying for the regional qualifiers of two of the biggest Esports tournaments in the world, they have established themselves as the best DOTA 2 team in the country. We are confident that their remarkable talent will help the country ace the regional qualifiers and make their mark in Riyadh,” commented Esports Federation of India director & Asian Esports Federation (AESF) VP  Lokesh Suji.

    The Global Esports Games 2023 (GEG23) is scheduled to take place from  11 to 16 December and will feature a total of four major titles: DOTA 2, Street Fighter, eFootball 2023, and PUBG Mobile with all participants being above the minimum age of 18, to ensure a fair and competitive environment. India will be participating in three of the four titles in the Open category – DOTA 2, eFootball 2023, and Street Fighter 6.

    One of the country’s top sports and esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as their official communication partner.

    Following the conclusion of the national qualifiers for DOTA 2, the qualifiers for eFootball 2023 and Street Fighter 6 will kick off on 9 September.

    The NESC’23 will be played in a double-elimination format. The exciting action from the Championships will be streamed live on ESFI’s official YouTube and Facebook pages.

  • Esports athletes receive official approval from ministry of youth affairs and sports for the Asian Games 2022

    Esports athletes receive official approval from ministry of youth affairs and sports for the Asian Games 2022

    Mumbai: In a groundbreaking achievement for Indian Esports, the ministry of youth affairs and sports (MYAS) has officially approved the 15-member Esports contingent that will be participating in the Asian Games 2022 alongside other sports (letter attached).

    Esports is going to make its debut at the Asian Games 2022 as a proper medal event, earlier in 2018 it was there as a demonstration title. Initially scheduled for September last year, the tournament will now be held from 23 September to 8 October 2023. This multi-nation event will cement the industry mark into a mainstream sports scene.

    Commenting on the Esports getting the official stamp of approval from the MYAS, please find below the quote on behalf of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) director, Esports Federation of India & vice president of Lokesh Suji,

    “Witnessing our Esports team receive the official endorsement from the ministry of

    youth affairs and sports is a moment that fulfils the dreams of everyone involved in the Esports movement in India. This recognition goes beyond just the 15 team members participating in the Asian Games 2022; it encompasses the entire Esports community in the country. Our community has relentlessly worked towards gaining acknowledgement for their dedication and the sport itself.

    The ESFI has consistently emphasised treating Esports players as athletes, and seeing our efforts yield results brings us immeasurable joy. The boundary that once separated Esports athletes from traditional sports athletes has now disappeared, ensuring they are treated equally in terms of support and recognition.

    We want to express our deep gratitude to the ministry of youth affairs and sports and the Indian Olympic Association for their dedication and their open embrace of the growth of Esports as a legitimate sport. With our sights set on the Asian Games 2022, we hold unwavering confidence that our immensely talented athletes will raise the profile of Indian Esports on the international stage, filling our nation with pride.”

    India will be participating in four of the seven total titles at the Asian Games 2022: DOTA Two, FIFA Online Four, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion edition.

    The 15-member Indian contingent is as follows:

    FIFA Online four – Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh

    Street Fighter V: Champion edition – Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas

    League of Legends – Akshaj Shenoy (captain), Samarth Arvind Trivedi, Mihir Ranjan, Aditya Selvaraj, Aakash Shandilya, and Sanindhya Malik

    DOTA Two – Darshan Bata (captain), Krish Gupta, Abhishek Yadav, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli

    In the recently concluded seeding event for Asian Games 2022, FIFA star Charanjot Singh showcased his domination to secure the top spot in South Asia whereas Karman Singh clinched fifth place.

    India’s League of Legends team also secured favourable seeding by going unbeaten against Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan at their LAN seeding event in Macau, while the nation’s DOTA Two team came second in their seeding group, finishing in the top eight in the overall event that was conducted online.

    The country’s ace Street Fighter V athletes Ayan Biswas and Mayank Prajapati secured fifth and sixth place respectively in their seeding event.