Asia
India’s national champions to participate in the Regional Qualifiers at the Esports World Championship 2021
A strong 17-member Indian contingent is geared up to present the country’s challenge at the Regional Qualifiers of the 13th Esports World Championship which are scheduled online from September 11 to October 10.
After impressive title-winning triumphs at the recently-concluded National Esports Championship (NESC) 2021, Hemanth Kommu (PES 2021), Hitesh Khorwal (Tekken7), five-member Team for Dota2, comprising of captain Jaikishan Malik, Manav Kunte, Shubham Goli, Vedant Patil, Ranjit Biswal and five-member Team for CS:GO, comprising of captain Ritesh Sarda, Shuvajyoti Chakraborty, Anshul Adardkar, Hrishikesh Shenoy & Harsh Jain will represent India at the prestigious tournament.
The 2021 Esports World Championship, unlike the last edition, which was completely held virtually, will be played with the remodeled format comprising a mix of online and offline competitions. The countries are divided into 10 different regions in the Regional Qualifiers and the winners will proceed to the Finals, which will be played offline in Eilat, Israel from November 14-19. The Indian contingent is placed in the South Asia region alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and UAE.
“The NESC ’21 was a stupendous success in every possible way, there were many surprising and impressive results. This Indian contingent will be tough one to beat and I’m certain that they will not only put up a strong fight but also strive for a podium finish. It’s great to see a growing interest among the Indian youth towards Esports. On behalf of the Esports Federation of India, I wish the entire squad best luck for the prestigious event,” said Mr Yugal Kishore Sharma, Director of Esports Federation of India (ESFI).
T
he NESC 2021 was full of surprises as the new talents dethroned the defending champions and earned themselves spots at the Esports World Championship.
In PES 2021, the defending champion Moin Amdani among the country’s 31 top players, including Navneetha Anand and Ankur Diwakar, a duo which was part of Team India at the 2018 Asian Games, battled it out. Hemanth notched up a close victory against Navneetha in the final and secured himself a spot in the Regional Qualifiers. However, Amdani lost to Gulrez in losers bracket.
CS:GO also witnessed participation of 22 top Indian teams including Wicked Gaming, Tetroyd, Team Ano, Vac Banned, Redemptions and Infinity Esports. Living up to the favourites tag, Wicked Gaming put up a brilliant show and defeated Team Ano in a nail-biting summit clash.
In Tekken7, the defending champion Abhinav Tejan and other 66 top Indian athletes took part. Hitesh Khorwal aka rcool emerged as the champion after he brilliantly cut short Rohit Jain’s winning run in the grand finale. The strong title contender Tejan suffered a defeat against Jeonsa, who was later defeated by mokujimaster.
In the popular multiplayer online battle arena game, DOTA 2, Team Punisher sealed a berth in the Regional Qualifiers after beating Macro Monks in the final.
This upcoming edition of the Esports World Championship will witness a strong competition with the National Esports Federations of 77 countries taking part in it. The matches will be streamed live on the International Esports Federation’s official channels.
ESFI continued its partnership with Artsmith- Concepts & Visions which will continue its support as the communication partner for the prestigious World Championships.
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Asia
The UAE Lottery joins SAGIP outreach with Philippine Consulate and Infinite Communities
The UAE Lottery, operated by The Game LLC (a Momentum Group company), participated in the SAGIP community outreach initiative on 28 June, 2026 at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, alongside the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates and Infinite Communities.
SAGIP—“Rescue” in Filipino—was positioned by organisers as an immediate support programme for Filipino community members navigating difficult circumstances. The session combined career coaching, counselling and wellness assessments, alongside distribution of essential grocery packs.
The programme also drew voluntary support from local Filipino businesses, HR practitioners, medical and healthcare professionals, psychologists and community volunteers, according to the organisers.
Consul Aleah Marie Gica said: “The Filipino community in the UAE has always demonstrated resilience and unity during difficult times. Community outreach programs such as SAGIP reflect the strength of collaboration between institutions and community organisations working together to support those most in need.”
Elena C. Cruz, Founder and CEO of Infinite Communities, said: “Through our Good Neighbour initiative and our collaboration with The UAE Lottery and the Philippine Consulate, we hope to create a safe and supportive environment where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered to move forward with dignity and confidence.”
Suzan Kazzi, Associate Director of CSR at Momentum – The UAE Lottery, added: “At a time when many members of the Filipino community are facing various challenges, we aim to provide not only immediate relief through grocery pack distribution, but also pathways toward resilience and renewed opportunities. Through our HR specialists who volunteered their time and expertise, the career coaching sessions were designed to help beneficiaries navigate uncertainty, regain confidence, and reconnect with employment opportunities through practical advice and guidance.”
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appointments
OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion
OS Studios has appointed Ishaan Arya as Country Manager for India, tasking him with leading the agency’s expansion across newly established hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Mumbai. The appointment was announced on 25 June, 2026 in Bengaluru.
OS Studios, a Project Worldwide agency, said it recently entered the Indian market and will deploy its ‘Fan Z’ approach for brands looking to engage with gaming, esports and live events audiences in South Asia. The company said the expansion will leverage the infrastructure and production capabilities of sister agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) India.
“The future of gaming will be shaped by the communities that care about it most, and few markets embody that more than India,” said John Higgins, CEO of OS Studios. “To build something meaningful, you have to be part of the culture, not looking in from the outside. Ishaan understands that better than anyone. He’s exactly the kind of leader we want building the future of OS Studios in India.”
In the role, Arya will oversee operations, drive strategic brand partnerships, and scale local capabilities, according to the company. “Brands are investing heavily in Indian gaming, but true fan experience is too often an afterthought,” said Rasheed Sait, Chief Growth Officer for India and South Asia at Project Worldwide. “Alongside GPJ India’s experiential footprint, OS Studios will set a new standard for fan engagement in the region.”
Arya previously co-founded The Esports Club and most recently served as Vice President of Partnerships at Nodwin Gaming, where he led Comic Con India. “A massive gap remains between brand intent and authentic community engagement in India,” said Arya. “I’m thrilled to leverage Project Worldwide and GPJ India’s operational strength to build culture-defining experiences for brands and fans alike.”
The post OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion
PhilWeb Corporation, a Philippine Stock Exchange-listed technology company serving licensed digital entertainment and gaming platforms, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a ₱2.02 billion strategic equity investment by prominent business leader Lance Y. Gokongwei.
The investment marks a significant milestone in PhilWeb’s transformation into an AI-enabled technology infrastructure company serving the regulated digital entertainment sector. Beyond the capital infusion, PhilWeb expects to benefit from Mr. Gokongwei’s strategic perspective, institutional experience and extensive business network as the Company strengthens its long-term technology roadmap and growth strategy.
Strategic Capital Infusion for AI and Technology Expansion
Under the definitive agreement, Mr. Gokongwei will invest an aggregate amount of ₱2,026,978,840.00 in PhilWeb. The strategic placement will be facilitated through a proposed increase in the Company’s Authorised Capital Stock from ₱2.6 billion to ₱3.6 billion, subject to the required corporate, stockholder and regulatory approvals.
The proceeds are intended to strengthen PhilWeb’s balance sheet and support the integration of advanced data and AI capabilities across its core technology roadmap:
• Enhanced Risk Management and Compliance Systems: Developing intelligent platform tools to support real-time risk scoring, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity detection and responsible gaming controls.
• Data Analytics and Platform Intelligence: Building secure data models designed to interpret user behaviour, optimise player lifecycle management and improve platform operating efficiency.
• Intelligent Recommendation and Retention Tools: Investing in automated recommendation engines to help licensed operators improve content discovery, platform performance and user engagement.
• Operational Automation: Enhancing internal and partner-facing systems through automation tools to optimise compliance workflows, reporting and high-throughput platform monitoring.
Strengthening PhilWeb’s Technology Moat
The transaction reflects growing investor interest in scalable technology infrastructure serving regulated digital entertainment ecosystems. PhilWeb has established a strong market footprint across the Philippine digital gaming and entertainment ecosystem, working with leading licensed operators, integrated resorts and platform partners including Hann Casino, Okada Manila, Newport World Resorts, NUSTAR Resort and Casino, FBM Philippines and PT Gaming. The integration of next-generation AI tools is expected to further strengthen PhilWeb’s domestic B2B infrastructure layer, enabling the Company to deliver greater operational efficiency, stronger compliance support and more scalable platform capabilities to its ecosystem partners while evaluating potential regional growth opportunities over time as market and regulatory conditions permit.
Management Perspective
“We are profoundly honored to welcome Lance Y. Gokongwei as a strategic anchor investor in PhilWeb. His investment represents a strong endorsement of our technology platform and long-term vision. Data intelligence and automated compliance tools are becoming essential layers of modern digital infrastructure. With Lance’s strategic investment and business network, PhilWeb is well-positioned to expand our AI technology roadmap, serve our established ecosystem of leading partners more efficiently, and evaluate long-term growth opportunities,” said Edgar Brian K. Ng, President of PhilWeb Corporation.
The post PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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