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Across the country young professional gamers are going head to head in the national esports championship to represent India in the upcoming Asian Games 2022 The sport will be a medal game for the first time in the Asian Games this year Classified into mdash Real Time Shooter Fighting First Person Shooter and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena mdash these games are proving to be the next step in the evolution of sportsThe Esports Federation of India has shared that there are over 300 million gamers across the country and the number is only growing In the Asian Games 2018 where esports was included as a demonstration game Indiarsquos Tirth Mehta won a bronze medal for Hearthstone Names like Defense of The Ancients DOTA 2 League of Legends LOL CounterStrike Call of Duty FIFA Hearthstone and Vainglory might curdle the blood of disciplinarian parents but the times theyareachanginrsquoWe speak to a few professional and passionate gamers to understand what this Asian Games addition would mean to the community and the sportImproved profile for the sport Sat Mayekar at a competitionSat Mayekar professional gamer marketing specialist in gamingA gamer for nearly 15 years Mayekar tells us that professional gaming is no childrsquos play ldquoEvery country has a local qualifier followed by national and international tournamentsrdquo he says The last decade has seen these tournaments grow more specialised and competitive Without an Indiaspecific slot in most cases Indian gamers have to compete with the rest of Asia The addition of esports into Asian Games this year Mayekar adds is a big boost ldquoIt raises the profile of the game It helps attract sponsors and publishers to the region facilitates the growth of the gamerdquo Mayekar is preparing for the Valorant Conquerors Championship this year but still does not see a superstar in the field He explained that there is still no superstar like Virat Kohli or KL Rahul that sponsors will swarm to in the sport But with the latest development he hopes the scenario willl change ldquoParents will perhaps give gamers more of a chance if it is a medal winning sport at this levelrdquo With major tournaments offering close to R50 Lakh to R1 crore in prize money the potential is always there he concludesStill a long way to go Brent Fernandes business manager and avid gamerA PlayStation enthusiast Fernandes has been participating in local tourneys for the last fivesix years The addition of the sport to the Asian Games list he says is a huge win He said adding ldquoWhile physical sports have always been at such events esports has rarely been promotedrdquo Despite the misgivings about PUBG Fernandes informs us that the biggest games in India are Call of Duty Free Fire Minecraft DOTA or FIFA The only problem is the money ldquoIt is very expensive to buy a gaming PC or a gaming console Consoles begin from R 40000 and gaming rigs can burn a hole in your pocketrdquo he explains It is not the most viable option for an Indian middleclass family especially when it could distract children from their books Sponsors are interested in the growing market and are game but there is a lot that needs to be done ldquoYou try and make the most of commercial opportunities through YouTube or Facebook Watch But you cannot expect someone to quit their jobs and earn big money through esports right away that is far fromrealityrdquo he admitsNeeds a change in perceptionRakesh Unnithan designer and artist professional gamerFor Unnithan the inclusion of esports in the Asian Games is a validation for hardcore gamers of their struggle ldquoIndia has always had good talents in terms of competitive gaming but the sport was restricted to local cafes and college competitions for a long timerdquo Unnithan says The inclusion as a medal winning sport is tacit approval of a new generational opportunity ldquoWho knows maybe some leagues like IPL for gaming might open up in India toordquo he exclaims While there are many little leagues across the country there is an issue of perception with the sport He explains ldquoWe have a strong belief in this country that if something is fun then it canrsquot be a professionrdquo Gaming has been unfairly blamed for many things from the dark web to gun violence in the United States ldquoYet it is no different from any other sport which requires devotion practice and maintaining a healthy lifestylerdquo he adds While the world is fast upgrading to the sport India is only now latching on ldquoI only hope the society would accept that this skill is a gift and a viable career option which can ensure a futurerdquo he hopes He says ldquoGaming when taken as a profession has its own norms of professionalism It is always about skill and not about how expensive your machine isrdquoWinners at the National Esport Championships India April 18 26 2022 FIFA 22 mdash Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh Tikka Street Fighter V mdash Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas Hearthstone mdash Shikhar Choudhary and Karthik Varma League of Legends mdash Team Temple of Kings comprising captain Akshaj Shenoy Samarth Arvind Trivedi Mihir Ranjan Aditya Selvaraj Aakash Shandilya and Sanindhya Malik DOTA 2 mdash Team Whoops captain Moin Ejaz Krish Abhishek Ketan Darshan and Shubham