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Meet India’s Esports Athletes who are winning Laurels for the country

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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.

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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: –

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Asia

Construction of Japan’s First Integrated Resort with a Casino Begins

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Construction has officially begun on Japan’s first integrated resort with a casino, as MGM Osaka held its groundbreaking ceremony last week. The event, hosted by Osaka IR KK, the project’s promoter, was attended by Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura and representatives of MGM Resorts International and Japan’s Orix Corporation, the lead partners behind the ¥1.27 trillion ($8.8 billion) development.

Located on the man-made island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, MGM Osaka is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2030. The project marks a key milestone in Japan’s long-debated foray into legalised casino gaming. Once operational, it is expected to generate around $5.9 billion annually in gross gaming revenue.

MGM Osaka will feature a casino, three hotels with approximately 2500 rooms, and extensive convention and entertainment facilities, including a 3500-seat theater, 330,000 square feet of exhibition space and 400,000 square feet of conference areas. Dining and retail outlets are also part of the expansive master plan.

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“In collaboration with Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, this project… is expected to contribute to the development of Japan’s tourism industry and the growth of the Kansai region,” a press statement reads.

The complex’s timeline coincides with the tail end of Expo 2025, also hosted on Yumeshima Island. To minimise disruption during the event, construction will be scaled down on peak days and the use of heavy machinery delayed until after the Expo concludes in October.

The resort will benefit from enhanced transportation access. A new Osaka Metro station opened in January to serve Expo 2025 and eventually MGM Osaka, while the Kintetsu Nara Line is being extended to further improve connectivity before the resort opens.

Financially, the project is backed by a ¥530 billion ($3.68 billion) debt financing package led by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., with investments from regional businesses in Osaka.

The post Construction of Japan’s First Integrated Resort with a Casino Begins appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025

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Hero Esports, an industry leader and the largest esports company in Asia, has announced its championship venues for the Asian Champions League (ACL) Grand Finals 2025 taking place May 16-18 in Shanghai. The landmark event will transform three of the city’s most iconic venues into battlegrounds for nine premier esports titles, cementing Shanghai’s status as the global esports capital.

The tournament is expected to attract 80,000+ live attendees across three venues, with global broadcasts reaching millions via Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Participating teams will be competing for a total prize pool of $2 million. Selected ACL winners will earn direct entry to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—the largest esports event in history due to take place from July to August.

“Shanghai’s selection as our host city reflects its unmatched esports infrastructure and passionate community. By combining elite competition with DreamHack’s festival energy, we’re creating a new blueprint for global esports events,” said Jonny Wang, CEO of ACL.

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“This is Hero Esports’ most ambitious project to date. The ACL bridges Asian talents with the world stage while delivering unforgettable fan experiences through cutting-edge production,” said Danny Tang, Co-Founder & CEO of Hero Esports.

The post Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND

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LiveScore, home to the world’s leading app for sports scores, announces it is expanding its brand activation and presence in Thailand. This development marks a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to localising its services and engaging with football fans across Asia.

This strategic move highlights LiveScore’s commitment to expanding its presence in the region, beginning with Thailand and Indonesia. LiveScore has experienced substantial growth in Asia Pacific, with Thailand and Indonesia specifically representing a significant portion of LiveScore’s 7.6m users in Asia in 2024.

In line with this expansion, LiveScore has partnered with local agency, Holarchy, to enhance brand awareness and activation in the region. This step is crucial to the overall strategy aimed at engaging fans and brand partners throughout Asia. With the World Cup nearing, this expansion allows LiveScore to connect with dedicated football fans as it seeks to establish itself as the leading platform for football fans, and paves the way for exciting collaborations with regional brands.

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This expansion showcases LiveScore’s ongoing commitment to Fuelling Fans’ Passion for Sport, providing localised content, live scores, and news that resonates with fans on a personal level.

To further cement its commitment to local audiences, LiveScore has launched its official Thai social media account, @livescore.th. LiveScore’s Thai-specific account will feature localised content from the global LiveScore account, complimented with content specifically crafted for Thai fans, making it easier than ever for fans to stay engaged with their favourite sports.

Beyond social, fans can look forward to a series of LiveScore events such as watch parties, with all activations designed to bring more fans closer to the games they love.

Dominic Vye, Marketing Director, LiveScore, said: “Sports, especially football, hold immense popularity across Asia. We’ve chosen Thailand as the first country for our Asia expansion because of the undeniable passion of Thai fans. From their vibrant love for food to their pride in national teams and unwavering enthusiasm for the Premier League, Thai fans stand out. With LiveScore already enjoying a strong following and a loyal user base, this expansion marks an incredibly exciting step forward for both us and the fans.”

“LiveScore has always been driven by our mission to Fuel Fans’ Passion for Sport, and the incredible passion of Asian football fans only motivates our commitment to building a personal connection with fans in every market. We’re witnessing a phenomenal growth as fans from all over the world engage with us more than ever, especially as excitement builds towards the World Cup in 2026, and we’re proud to provide them with real-time updates and content that is tailored to their interests and needs.

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“This is just the beginning, and we’re looking forward to working with more like-minded brands committed to building meaningful connections with football fans across Asia.”

The post LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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