The Esports Federation Of India (ESFI) has announced that they will be conducting the National Esports Championships 2022 (NESC2022) starting from 4 April 2022 to select the Indian esports contingent for the upcoming Asian Games 2022. It will be under the AESF Road to Asian Games program.
Esports will be included as the medal event for the first time at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China PR, which will take place from 10 to 25 September 2022.
Games such as DOTA 2, Hearthstone, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V and League Of Legends will be competed at the national championships. Both professional esports athletes and enthusiasts across the country are welcome to register to the NESC2022, regardless of gender. The tournament will take place online over a period of 15 to 20 days.
For the titles Arena Of Valor (Asian Games Version) and PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), ESFI is seeking support from the Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports and Ministry Of Electronics And Information Technology (MeitY) as both titles are currently banned in India and several other Asian countries.
Mr Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India & Director, Olympic Council of Asia – NOC & International Relations professed his excitement for the event, stating:
“It is a matter of pride for our esports athletes to not only showcase their talent and skills but also make the country proud by winning the laurels for the nation.”
Mr. Sebastian Lau, Director General, Asian Electronic Sports Federation also extended his best wishes for the Indian esports talents:
“I would like to share my sincere congratulations to ESFI team on the launch of their National Team Selection Program the NESC 2022 today. This is an incredible beginning and milestone for India’s esports program and I look forward to seeing the best Indian esports talents in our RDAG Regionals and Final in Hangzhou this September. I wish the best of luck to all participants.”
Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director ESFI & VP-Asian Electronic Sports Federation, echoed his sentiments, saying:
“We urge all esports athletes to participate and become a part of this historical event where esports is making its debut as a medal sport at the Asian Games. As esports is expected to be included at the Olympics in the near future, we are committed to developing, supporting and growing the esports ecosystem in India.”
The winners of NESC2022 will participate in the AESF Road To Asian Games Regional Qualifiers to determine the seeding at the Esports Final in Hangzhou.
In the 2018 Asian Games where esports was included as a demonstration event, India’s Tirth Mehta won the bronze medal in Hearthstone.
The National Esports Championships will be streamed live from the quarterfinals on ESFI’s official YouTube and Twitch channels, as well as on the Facebook page. ESFI is also in talks with other streaming partners, which will be announced in the near future. Registrations are now open for the NESC 2022 until 15 April 2022. More details are available on the ESFI Discord server: https://discord.gg/esfi
