2020 National Esports Championship is set to take place starting from 25 to 27 September. In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the three-day event will be completely held online and the esports athletes from all over India will compete on video games like in DOTA2, Tekken7 and PES 2020.
Defending champion Delhi’s Abhinav Tejan (Tekken7) and Mumbai’s Moinuddin Amdani (PES) alongside other popular esports gaming names across the country including Loveneet Dogra, Malay, Akshay Jagtap and Navaneetha will be among the main attractions as the winner of each game will get chance to represent India at the International Esports Federation (IESF)-organised 12th Esports World Championship which will take place in Eilat, Israel at the end of the year.
“There has been an immense increase in the Esports players in recent time, especially during COVID-19 pandemic where outdoor sports took a hit. The last edition of the National Championship saw around 100 gamers taking part but we expect the numbers of participation to go up this time. With newfound interest in the sport, it is a great opportunity for games to not only showcase their talent but also make country proud,” Esports Federation of India (ESFI) director Lokesh Suji said.
The National Championship will be played in a double-elimination format with the last date of registrations will be 24 September(PES) and 25 September (Tekken7 and DOTA2). The championship will be streamed live on Esports Federation of India (ESFI)’s Youtube and Facebook page.
“Last year my performance wasn’t good in Seoul [2019 Esports World Championship] as I lost in the pool stage. However, I have been working hard to win medal for the country at 2020 Esports World Championship. But to qualify for that, I have to give my best to win in National Qualifiers and Regional Qualifiers which won’t be easy this time,” Tejan, who has participated in over 100 tournaments so far in his 10-year career, said.
With the pandemic and its impact, the format of the World Championship has also been changed this year to adapt to the situation. The national champions will have to compete in the online regional qualifiers, which has been introduced, and the winners will secure place for themselves in the global finals in Eilat. The regional qualifiers will take place from 20 October to 20 November while the global finals will be held from 6 December to 12 December.
“It’s always a great feeling to represent your country at the global stage. Last national championship [2019] was really good for me also it was my first. My focus will be to continue that momentum and secure spot in World Championship,” said defending champion (PES) Amdani, who also finished runners-up at the Nations Cup in Bengaluru held on November 2019.
ESFI partners Alcis and Artsmith and will continue its support as the kit and communication partner respectively.
