ESPORTS
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL WORDS BY DONNA AMO
W
hile esports is recognized as an official sport in places like China, Netherlands, the USA, etc., it is still at a nascent stage in India. Now, with the inclusion of esports as an official medal sport in the Asian Games, 2022, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) recognizing it as an official sport, the future seems bright for the industry and the gaming community. We spoke to Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and the Vice President of Asian Esports Federation, to tell us a bit more on what awaits the eager esports players in India. HOW CAN ESPORTS EXPAND ITS BASE IN INDIA? The first thing needed for esports to grow in India is to have a correct understanding on the subject by all stakeholders including 34
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government, media, VCs, brand, etc. The recognition of esports by the Sports Ministry will also help in building the confidence of parents, as many of our esports athletes are between the ages of 14-20 years and their parents are still skeptical about it. Unlike traditional sports, esports still needs to be developed in the country and it will need a lot of patience and investment. It is a blank slate as of now and needs to be developed in a structured way so that we can
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make India the next powerhouse of esports. WHAT IS ESFI DOING TO ATTRACT PLAYERS INTO THE ESPORTS INDUSTRY? ESFI is a sports federation and plays the same role which BCCI plays in cricket. Our core objective is to grow esports like any other sport. ESFI brings together all the stakeholders of the esports ecosystem cohesively. We give opportunities for budding talent to work at the ESFI’s events while
