Asia

2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships: ESFI gives grand send-off to Indian contingent

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Esports Federation of India (ESFI) hosted a grand send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent participating at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship on Sunday. The inaugural multi-nation esports tournament is organized by Commonwealth Games & Global Esports Federation; scheduled in Birmingham from August 6-7.

The members of the DOTA 2 and Rocket League, who will be representing the country at the prestigious event, were present on the occasion alongside Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP- Asian Esports Federation, Satinder Sikri (VP-Haryana Esports Association) and Yash Bhalawala (Gen Sec-Esports Association of Gujrat) at INOX Insignia in Ardee Mall, Gurgaon.

ESFI also unveiled the Indian team’s official kits for the Commonwealth Esports Championships during the event.

“Esports is like every other sport and we wanted to make sure that we bid farewell to our Indian contingent in the best way possible ahead of the big event. We are grateful to INOX for helping us organize this wonderful send-off ceremony. The rise of Esports in India in the last few years has truly been remarkable and the participation of two teams on behalf of the nation on the global stage is a result of that. We, at ESFI, wish the best of luck to the Indian contingent and we are confident that they will make the nation proud,” said Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP- Asian Esports Federation.

“We are honoured and super excited to be part of this inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championship and there is a high probability that esports will be a medal sport in the next Commonwealth Games scheduled in 2026” Suji added.

The Indian team in the Rocket League will be led by Hargun Singh (Hargun <2) with Sandeep Sahani and Rushil Reddy being the other two members. Team Dota 2, on the other hand, comprises captain Moin Ejaz, Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubham Goli and Vishal Vernekar.

Both the teams have already proved their mettle by clinching impressive wins in the tournament’s South Asian Regional Qualifiers last month.

“I am really excited about esports being included in a Commonwealth event as this will really change how esports is perceived among people around the world. As a player, it’s a huge opportunity being given to us and we are really going to do our best to represent India as best as we can. All of us are putting in extra effort to maximise everyone’s potential and work together as a team,” Hargun said on the sidelines of the event.

“The entire team is looking forward to playing against the best teams in the world and proves our mettle. We have been paying a lot of attention to our strategies and practicing a lot in the hopes of a podium finish. Getting the chance to represent the nation in the very first Commonwealth Esports Championship is a very sweet reward to show for all of the efforts we have taken in playing this game at the highest level. A big thank you to ESFI for today’s send-off ceremony and especially for the sports psychology session that taught us a lot of valuable things,” DOTA 2 skipper Moin Ejaz added.

The players also took part in an enlightening sports psychology session “Building High-Performance Mindset” by Mitesh Jain (Founder & Chief Sports Psychologist – Mandeha). It included mental exercises and activities to improve focus, mental skills, self-confidence, motivation and communication skills for the players.

It was followed by a special movie screening for the players as they enjoyed and relaxed ahead of their long journey. The Indian contingent left for Birmingham early in the morning on Monday (1st Aug, 2022).

One of the country’s top sports and Esports specialised communication firms, Artsmith – Concepts & Visions, will continue its support for the championships as ESFI’s official communication partner.

The 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships will be conducted at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham with the presence of the world’s top Esports teams. Alongside DOTA2 and Rocket League, PES2022 will also be part of the tournament.

Asia

Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit

Published

20 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

onlyplay-enters-into-strategic-partnership-with-ritchie-rabbit

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Onlyplay has entered into a strategic partnership with online casino and betting company Ritchie Rabbit within the Asia region.

Ritchie Rabbit is said to have “extensive expertise and deep understanding of the Asian market,” which helps Onlyplay as it seeks to expand its presence in the region.

Through this deal, Onlyplay will introduce a range of games and features designed specifically for the Asian gaming community.

Onlyplay offers a wide range of games such as instant win, slots and crash games, and will now provide games for players in Asia.

Christina Muratkina, CEO of Onlyplay, said: “It is a great pleasure for us to develop the Asian region alongside Ritchie Rabbit. We recognize the immense potential of the Asian market and are committed to delivering top-notch gaming content and experiences to players in the region. This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to offer innovative and engaging games that resonate with our Asian audience.”

The post Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Africa

Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

George Miller

hub88-partners-with-livegames-to-enhance-content-offering

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.

LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.

The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.

The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.

The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.

Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.

“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”

The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.

“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”

The post Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Asia

Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2024

Niji Narayan

indonesian-govt-to-form-task-force-to-tackle-online-gambling

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a limited meeting which discussed the efforts taken to eradicate online gambling in the country on Thursday 18 April, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi, in his press statement after the limited meeting, said that the Government will form a task force to counter online gambling.

“It has been decided that within a week, we will formulate measures to form an integrated task force in order to eradicate online gambling,” Budi said.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology mentioned that forming a cross-ministries/institutions task force is aimed to handle online gambling more thoroughly, collaboratively and efficiently.

“Gambling is an illegal act based on regulations. So, we need to impose measures effectively to settle it,” Budi stated, adding that his ministry will focus on handling online gambling websites and contents, while the law enforcement officers will enforce the law.

“Our authority is only to take down the websites, while the Financial Services Authority (OJK) blocks their financial accounts, and then followed by law enforcement officers, police officers, and the public prosecution service officers,” he remarked.

Similarly, OJK’s Chairperson of Commissioner Board Mahendra Siregar also highlighted the importance of holistic measures in eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.

“Some online gambling activities are not conducted in Indonesia, some are cross-borders, some do not use bank accounts, some needs to be tracked and traced through bank accounts, including transfers and so on. So, the next layers must also be addressed, and that way it leaves no empty rooms,” Mahendra explained.

Mahendra said that according to the institution’s authority, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, OJK has blocked around 5000 bank accounts that indicate its relation to online gambling.

“So far, we have cooperated closely with Communications and Information Technology Ministry. So, if we receive a list of bank accounts suspected to be used or are being used in online gambling activities, we immediately block them, and it has reached up to 5000 bank accounts,” Mahendra mentioned.

The post Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.