National Esports Championship to begin from September 25

The National Champions will play at the Regional & World Finals.

The country's top gaming stars will be seen showcasing their skills as the 2020 National Esports Championship is set to take place from September 25 to 27. In the wake of the 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 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 participants to go up this time. With new found interest in the sport, it is a great opportunity for games to not only showcase their talent but also make the country proud," said Esports Federation of India (ESFI) Director Lokesh Suji.

The National Championship will be played in a double elimination format with the last date of registrations will be September 24 (PES) and September 25 (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 a medal for the country at the 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," expressed Tejan, who has participated in over 100 tournaments so far in his 10-year career.

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 for the first time, and the winners will secure a place for themselves in the Global Finals in Eilat. The Regional Qualifiers will take place from October 20 to November 20 while the Global finals will be held from December 6-12.

"It's always a great feeling to represent your country at the global stage. Last national championship [2019] was really good for me. It was also my first. My focus will be to continue that momentum and secure a spot in the World Championship," said defending champion (PES) Amdani, who also finished runners-up at the Nations Cup in Bengaluru held in November 2019.