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Meet India’s Esports Athletes who are winning Laurels for the country
Gone are the days when youngsters were told off by their folks for wasting hours e-gaming before a console, PC or mobile. Today, with increasing smartphone penetration and digitization across India, the tables have turned and esports has become a much vide-for profession for both the urban and rural youth. And why not? Because they are not only earning money and fame but also winning laurels for India.
Esports Federation of India has in a way, been partly responsible for the shift in how the Indian youth perceives esports as a profession. The federation pioneered the competitive esports gaming format in India by organising national tournaments such as Nations Cup, National Esports Championship (NESC) and as recently ESFI Ranking Scrims etc. These large-scale platforms have given gamers and streamers an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete domestically and create a name for themselves nationally as well as internationally making a mark while ESFI athletes have been competing in South Asia & upcoming World Championships.
Nothing beats the experience of the Indian tri-colour going up during any medal ceremony. Here are India’s top four esports heroes that are setting the bar high and aspiring many more youngsters to take up esports professionally:
Tirth Mehta (Bronze medal winner in Asian Games 2018)
Esports Title – Hearthstone
Tirth Mehta, a 26-year-old lad from the sleepy town of Bhuj in Gujarat’s Kutch district who won the bronze medal in Hearthstone — a popular online digital collectible card game — at the Esports demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games.
Hearthstone, developed and published by American video game Company, Blizzard Entertainment, has garnered huge interest among online gamers from across Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, besides India. The game is a combination of chess and poker, requiring players to have core skills in maths and probability.
The hours Tirth spend depend on whether or not there was an upcoming major tournament. If there isn’t, he usually spend a couple hours a day if there is, he spends between 5 hours to 14 hours a day playing.
Karan Manganani (Placed 4th in Asian Games 2018)
Esports Title – Clash Royale
Karan “jin kazama” Manganani is undoubtedly the best Clash Royale player in India. Karan Manganani, 20, like many other Indians of his generation, plays a lot of video games. He spends five hours a day on average, on his smartphone playing Clash Royale, a chess-like strategy game. Manganani has an easier time explaining his gaming habit to his parents, unlike most others his age, though. His ability to win virtual wars could potentially one day earn India gold at the Olympics.
List of Achievements 2018-20 Clash Royale: –
1. CRL Combine Phase 1 Rank 1
2. CRL Combine Main Event Rank Top 10(Los Angeles)
3. Asian Games 2018 National Champion (2018)
4. Asian Games 2018 Regional Champion (South Asia)
5. Asian Games 2018 Rank 4(All Over Asia)
6. Esl India Premiership 2018-19 Winter Season Champion
7. MGL World Cup Clash Royale 2018(India MVP)
8. World Royale League Clash Royale 2018(India Captain)
9. ESL India Premiership 2019-20 Summer Season Champion
10. World Royale League 2019 Team India (MVP)
Moinuddin Amdani:
Esports Title – PES 2020
Moinuddin started playing in 2012. His love for football motivated him to take up this game. It was initially started as a fun-time hobby like any other gaming individual. His parents are concerned about his career and job security as not every individual turn out to be a successful professional esports player. However, he is yet to break the news about his ambition of getting into full-time video gaming and becoming an esports professional.
Not owning a PlayStation is the biggest challenge for this India No. 1. Even though he plays professionally, he still has to go to a cyber cafe to play the matches as he doesn’t own a machine. He though feels Esports in India is booming but we still have that mindset of playing is a waste of time.
Amdani is targeting nothing short of gold at the upcoming Esports World Championship in Eliat, Israel.
Achievements:
Two-time national champion
Runner up in PES 2017 tournament at IGX
Runner up at Nations Cup held in India
Represented India at the 2019 World Championship 2019
Represented India at E-Masters Asia
Abhinav Tejan
Esports Title – Tekken7
Tejan started playing Tekken when he was around 7-8 years old and used to go to an arcade shop close to his house where he started playing recreationally.
While he started off casually with his friends at the arcade just for fun but right after his graduation from school, he saw an advertisement for a Tekken 6 tournament and he decided to participate and soon good introduced to the Tekken community in India as well. He started joining tournaments since 2010 and during this time there weren’t many tournaments happening and the community was quite a small one. With no official rules and pretty much every tournament having a different rule set all the time and unprofessional attitude at times when prize money were halved or declined-pretty much affected the growth of the game and increasing the popularity of the game.
Tejan feels getting a sponsor in India for a game which is not that popular is really hard, he has been trying to get the sponsors attention for many years now by staying at the number 1 position in India in Tekken and even placing top 3 in the international tournament but he is still without sponsors and at times even if sponsors are there Visa availability becomes an issue.
Achievements:
Current national champion
1st position in Dreamhack Delhi 2018 and 2019
3rd position SEA Major TWT 2018
4th position IESF 2018 Kaohsiung
9th position EVO Japan 2020
These young guns have set the ball rolling to make esports in India the most coveted profession with every tournament won and make India proud on winning the medals at national and international championships.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Meet India’s Esports Athletes who are winning Laurels for the country
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Red Bull announces brand-new Trackmania tournament ‘Red Bull Faster’, set to descend on Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes HQ
Start your engines as Red Bull teams up with top Trackmania creator Øyvind “Wirtual” to bring the ultimate high-speed tournament to Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes HQ.
An adrenaline-fueled showdown, Red Bull Faster is set to take place on 1 March at MK-7, with online qualifiers open from 24 January, 7pm CET (6pm GMT / 10am PST) until 7 February. Players globally can head to the in-game club ‘Red Bull Faster’ to access the tournament’s custom maps.
Hopeful competitors can put the pedal to the metal, racing across 3 challenging maps in Time Attack mode to clinch the best cumulative time on the global leaderboard. The Top 100 fastest players will advance to the stage 2 online qualifiers, with the Top 8 securing a coveted spot on the starting line at the offline Grand Finals in Milton Keynes.
Hosted by an iconic Trackmania creator, “Wirtual” will be livestreaming all the daring jumps, hairpin turns, and dizzying loops of the high-octane competition across his YouTube and Twitch channels. With the clock ticking, it’s time for seasoned pros and rising racers to grind the ladder, burn rubber on the virtual speedway, and drift, dive, and drive to pole position before qualifiers close on 7 February.
As Red Bull Faster gears up to be the ultimate test of speed and skill, racing fans can also join the action with limited in-person spectator tickets now available. Tickets include food for attendees and photo opportunities with Red Bull’s F1™ race cars.
The post Red Bull announces brand-new Trackmania tournament ‘Red Bull Faster’, set to descend on Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes HQ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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UNdisputedly GR8 ICE 2025 with GR8 Tech, RTF by Oleksandr Usyk, and the Leaders of iGaming
ICE 2025 marked GR8 Tech’s second birthday and a strong start to the year for the company. The provider showcased innovative iGaming solutions and reinforced its position as a high-performing industry leader, unveiling its partnership with Ready to Fight co-founded by boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
“GR8 Tech is dedicated to excellence in iGaming technology. Our solutions are designed not only to be fast, reliable, and innovative but to empower operators with a competitive edge in their markets. ICE 2025 was a celebration of our journey so far and a showcase of the market-leading solutions that define us. We are thrilled to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in iGaming and delivering the tools our partners need to lead their markets as undisputed champions,” said Sergey Ghazaryan, CRO at GR8 Tech. GR8 Tech at ICE Barcelona 2025: The UNbelievably GR8 Recap!
A Game-Changing Partnership Usyk’s RTF Platform
The partnership with Ready to Fight was officially officially unveiled during the third day of ICE 2025 with a presentation by GR8 Tech’s CRO, Sergey Ghazaryan, and Bohdan Salii, CVO at Ready to Fight. The presentation attracted a mix of conference attendees, including industry leaders from organizations like Clarion Gaming and SiGMA Group, who gathered to witness the launch of this exciting collaboration.
Following the presentation, the stand came alive with an engaging arm-wrestling challenge. Prominent industry leaders, founders, and top managers from SiGMA Group, NEXT.io, Gaming Operations Academy, ICS-digital, and others participated, bringing energy and excitement to the event. The ultimate prize—a pair of boxing gloves signed by Usyk—went to the winner of the challenge, Zakaria El Maaroufi, Head of M&A Brokerage at SiGMA Group. To keep the fun going, a lottery draw later in the day gave attendees another chance to win their own signed gloves, making it a truly memorable experience.
Throughout the partnership announcement and celebration, GR8 Tech showcased signed boxing gloves worn by Oleksandr Usyk during his historic victory over Tyson Fury in the spring of 2024. These gloves, complete with a certificate of authenticity, were prominently displayed in the ring area of the stand, symbolizing the unstoppable performance that both Usyk and GR8 Tech bring to the table.
New Deals with a Tailored High-Performance Solution Portfolio
As the first major event of the year, ICE sets the tone for business opportunities and innovation across the industry. GR8 Tech used this opportunity to introduce a refreshed product portfolio solution, known for delivering an adaptable, scalable, and cost-effective platform that guarantees above-market profit margins. Visitors were also introduced to the updated Sportsbook Turbo iFrame, which provides an award-winning sportsbook that can be integrated within a week. The showcase of the Infinite Casino Aggregation impressed attendees with its vast selection of over 15,000 games and over 175 game providers, appealing to those looking to diversify and expand their portfolios with ease.
“ICE 2025 highlighted GR8 Tech’s sharp business focus and the well-organized nature of the event. It was the perfect mix that helped us connect with the right people and have valuable conversations. We had hundreds of productive meetings, setting the stage for some exciting deals and partnerships. This event has once again been a great step forward in growing our presence and solidifying our position as leaders in the industry,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CBDO at GR8 Tech.
Looking ahead
After celebrating its milestone birthday at ICE, GR8 Tech is energized for the year ahead. With an UNprecedented roadmap for 2025, the company’s next major trade show is iGB Live in July—with new surprises from the RTF partnership in store. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from GR8 Tech as the journey continues.
The post UNdisputedly GR8 ICE 2025 with GR8 Tech, RTF by Oleksandr Usyk, and the Leaders of iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Betway signs UFC Champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis as Global Ambassador
Leading global online betting and gaming brand, Betway, has signed the Ultimate Fighting Championship Middleweight Champion, Dricus du Plessis, as a global brand ambassador.
Du Plessis, the reigning and undisputed Middleweight Champion is currently undefeated in the world’s biggest mixed martial arts organization, boasting a commanding 10-fight win streak with a stellar 22-2-0 career record.
The African MMA superstar joins the Betway Squad as he prepares to defend his title at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia on Saturday 8 February.
Betway Africa’s Head of Marketing, Mark Rowles, who was delighted to add du Plessis to the impressive Betway Squad commented, “At Betway, we pride ourselves on aligning our global recognised brand with exceptional sporting properties such as the Betway SA20, Betway Premiership, and the Springboks, as well as working with inspirational sports stars and we are immensely proud to have Dricus join us. He is a great ambassador for South Africa and African MMA, he has established himself as one of the top MMA athletes in the world, his International Fighter of the Year award is testament to the incredible year he has had in the UFC, and we wish him well for his title defence at UFC 312. We are all behind the champ.”
du Plessis made history at UFC 297 in Toronto when he became South Africa’s first UFC world champion after beating American Sean Strickland by split decision. He has since continued his meteoric rise by defending his belt against former two-time champion Israel Adesanya, winning by submission at UFC 305 in Perth in August of last year.
“Betway having chosen to invest in me and my sport is a tremendous honour, by and in itself. Knowing that this collaboration creates opportunity for aspiring MMA-athletes and South African sports talents, provides me with a tremendous sense of pride and motivation to maintain our country’s championship status, you can bet on that!
The 31-year-old continues to inspire a nation through his performances in the UFC octagon and hopes to see more people take up the sport after firmly putting African MMA in the spotlight in 2024.
The post Betway signs UFC Champion Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis as Global Ambassador appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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