Asian Games
India's DOTA 2 team eyes Asian Games 2022 glory, starts against Kyrgyzstan
The country’s eminent DOTA 2 outfit has been drawn in Group A alongside Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines and will take on both teams in its tournament opener on September 29.
India's DOTA team( Image via Artsmith)
India's premier DOTA 2 team is gearing up to recreate their stunning success at the Commonwealth Esports Championships as they take on Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines in their opening group stage games of the Asian Games 2022 at the China Hangzhou Esports Centre on September 29.
Led by skipper Darshan Bata (A35), the skilled DOTA 2 unit comprising Krish Gupta (Krish-), Abhishek Yadav (Abhi-), Ketan Goyal (Evil-Ash), and Shubham Goli (Madness) has been drawn into Group A, where they are scheduled to compete against Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines in Best-of-One (BO1) single round-robin format matches. The top-ranked team from this group will advance to face Nepal in the quarter-finals on September 30.
All matches in the elimination stage for DOTA 2 will be contested in the head-to-head, Best-of-Three (BO3) single elimination format. There will be a total of 14 notable teams participating in the title.
“As the captain of the team, I feel an immense sense of responsibility and pride in leading the country’s first-ever DOTA 2 team at the Asian Games. The entire team has been practicing constantly in the build-up to the tournament as all of us understand the honor of representing India at such a prestigious competition. With the constant support of ESFI throughout our journey, we are ready to give our all and make the country proud by bringing home a medal,” said Darshan Bata, captain of the Indian DOTA 2 team.
The squad sealed their qualification for the Asian Games 2022, by prevailing in the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC) organized by Esports Federation of India (ESFI) last year. The team’s experienced players Ketan, Abhishek, and Shubham were part of the iconic squad that scripted history by clinching the bronze medal at last year’s inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham.
Sharing his thoughts on the talented team participating in the tournament, Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) expressed, " At ESFI, we have witnessed the incredible growth of Esports in India and the extraordinary talent that has emerged from our nation. This DOTA 2 team consists of some of the finest players in the country who have already proved their mettle at the Commonwealth Esports Championships last year. We are confident that they will perform at a similar level in Hangzhou and bring laurels for the country."
