eSports

Veloce Racing’s reserve driver Gilmour steps up to the plate for Arctic X Prix

Published

5 years ago

August 16, 2021

Gaspar Incze

Reading Time: 2 minutes

New Zealander vows to ‘expect the unexpected’ at unpredictable Extreme E event

Veloce Racing has announced that Emma Gilmour will step up from her role as the team’s female reserve driver to fill the boots of Jamie Chadwick in the upcoming Arctic X Prix – the third event on Extreme E’s inaugural 2021 calendar.

The New Zealander boasts an impressive résumé having competed in several WRC events, finished runner-up in the New Zealand Rally Championship three times in succession and made an appearance in the 2014 X Games semi-final.

Gilmour will now stand in for Jamie Chadwick at Extreme E’s Kangerlussuaq, Greenland event due to a clash with the Belgian W Series race at Spa-Francorchamps. The reigning champion has opted to race in the all-female series to keep hopes of retaining her 2019 title alive.

The pairing of Stéphane Sarrazin and Chadwick proved a potent one at the Senegal race in May, as the duo drove strategically throughout the event, taking minimal risks and building speed as the weekend progressed.

While others fell by the wayside suffering mechanical failures and getting tangled up in incidents, Veloce Racing weathered the storm securing a maiden podium and a second-place finish as a well-earned reward.

Despite her lack of seat time in Extreme E, Gilmour’s wealth of experience combined with Sarrazin’s knowledge of the series so far, will ensure this renewed partnership and the Veloce Racing Squad are as competitive as ever in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.

Emma Gilmour, Driver, Veloce Racing commented:

“I’m so excited to get started. Obviously, I have been involved with Veloce Racing in my role as Reserve Driver so far this season but now to be able to get behind the wheel and go racing is going to be incredible.

“The key is to expect the unexpected. Extreme E has proven in its first two races that anything can – and probably will – happen so I’m going to try and prepare for every eventuality.

“Stéphane [Sarrazin] and Jamie [Chadwick] made an incredible comeback in Senegal after a tough opening round, I’m hoping we can keep that ball rolling into Greenland and secure more big points for the team.

“I’m under no illusions though. This is a tough series with some of the world’s best drivers on the grid. It’s going to be the biggest test of my skills to-date and to do it against such a spectacular backdrop is going to make it even more special.”

Daniel Bailey, CEO, Veloce Racing commented:

“We’re delighted to be able to give Emma [Gilmour] this opportunity to race with us in Greenland. Of course, we were impressed with her abilities from the outset so we signed up as reserve driver for this kind of scenario.

“Her experience speaks for itself. She’s had a hugely successful career both globally and in New Zealand so I don’t think she’ll have any trouble getting up to speed with this new and innovative series.

“Obviously Jamie will be competing in Belgium as well so it’s going to be a very busy weekend for the team and our biggest test yet, but we’re up for the challenge!

“Stéphane and Jamie did an amazing job last time out so we want to build on that result and continue to push forward this season – Emma is the perfect person to help us do that.”

eSports

Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-awards-adds-player-voted-ewc-players’-choice-award,-extends-esports-foundation-deal

The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.

The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.

Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.

“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”

The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.

EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.

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chess

ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field

Published

3 days ago

June 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

enc-2026-chess-qualifiers-wrap-as-82-nations-and-territories-make-the-field

The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.

EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.

A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.

EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.

The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.

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1xBet

HLTV Awards returns to Belgrade on January 9, 2027, adding Lifetime Achievement honor

Published

4 days ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

hltv-awards-returns-to-belgrade-on-january-9,-2027,-adding-lifetime-achievement-honor

HLTV will stage the HLTV Awards presented by 1xBet in Belgrade, Serbia on January 9, 2027, returning to the Sava Center. The company said more than 1,000 players, industry professionals, creators, and fans are expected to attend.

HLTV also confirmed Dust2 creator David Johnston will feature as an award announcer. HLTV linked the booking to the 25th anniversary of Dust2.

For 2026, HLTV is updating its Hall of Fame process and eligibility rules. Four players will be inducted again, with “at least two and up to three” slots reserved for players from the Counter-Strike 1.6 and early eras. HLTV also removed the former “neo rule,” allowing players to be inducted for their playing careers even if they remain active in other roles such as coaching.

HLTV is adding a Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be decided by the Hall of Fame Board. The ceremony will also move Community Awards onto the main stage show for the first time, rather than the pre-show segment.

Separately, HLTV will kick off the 2027 Awards season with an invite-only “HLTV Awards by 1xBet Launch Party x GRID” in Cologne during the Major. HLTV said industry members can apply for an invite to the ceremony via its awards page.

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