Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian Esports Industry Overwhelmed With DOTA 2 Team Winning Bronze Medal

The Indian DOTA 2 team produced a power-packed performance to clinch the bronze medal at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship. The Indian Dota 2 team, comprising Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubham Goli, and Vishal Vernekar, defeated New Zealand by 2-0 in a best-of-three format.

Indian Esports industry is overwhelmed by this bronze medal win and bat for Esports recognition as a sport so as the players who are bringing laurels for the country gain the benefits and support any sports community and athletes would receive. Also, the community requires the brands to come forward and support the teams and athletes in a long run to reach their ultimate potential.

Not to forget that Esports is a proper medal event in Asian Games 2022 which is scheduled next year in Hangzhou from 23rd September to 8th October 2023 (earlier in 2018 it was there as a demonstration title and India had managed to secure the bronze in Hearthstone courtesy of Tirth Mehta). The esports titles in which the Indian contingent is participating are - FIFA 22, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Street Fighter V and Hearthstone. So, there are multiple medals at stake in esports at Asian Games 2022.

Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation, "This win is a historic moment for the Indian Esports ecosystem and will not only aspire many esports athletes to represent India on a global stage but will help establish India as an e-sports nation. We need to build a robust & sustainable esports ecosystem for India which is inclusive and diverse (developed across multiple esports titles), leading to the shaping up of not one/two but hundreds of medal winners across multiple esports titles and gender."

"For brands, they have to look at Esports as their long-term marketing strategy to develop and grow the sport and not just for their activation tools. Our athletes/teams need support and encouragement from the brands for the long run just like any other sports athlete. We hope brands will put their focus and eyes on this next-generation sport and come up with a long-term vision to grow the sport and upskill our esports talent."

India will participate in the Asian Games where Esports will be a medal sport and will look to do more good to increase the visibility of E-sports in India.