Esports & Gaming

Indian DOTA 2 Team brings home bronze at Commonwealth Esports Championship 2022

First, it was during the Asian Games 2018 where Tirth Mehta got the bronze medal in esports (demonstration title) and now the Indian DOTA 2 team produced a power-packed performance to clinch the bronze medal at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship on Sunday.

The Indian Dota 2 team, comprising Moin Ejaz (captain), Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubhnam Goli, and Vishal Vernekar, defeated New Zealand by 2-0 in a best-of-three format. Despite the early pressure from New Zealand, the Indian contingent kept a cool head and won the first two rounds by taking the enemy’s ancient with their intense gameplay and strategies.

“This win symbolises the amount of hard work the team has put in over the years and we dedicate this win to our country. Winning a medal at the Commonwealth was a dream for us and we’re super proud as a team. We were very much aware before leaving for Birmingham that the tournament was going to be tough. Keeping in mind the intensity and level of the game on such an international platform, each and every team member gave their best shot during the practice sessions. We have invested a lot of time in preparing the strategies and improving our gameplay, which finally culminated in this win. We would like to thank the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and Lokesh Suji Sir for their continuous support, motivation & encouragement. We hope that this win will encourage more tournaments around DOTA 2 and other esports titles, which will help the ecosystem as a whole to grow in our country,” said an elated Indian DOTA 2 skipper Moin Ejaz after winning the bronze medal.

Earlier in the DOTA 2, India came away with a convincing victory against Wales, got a bye against Trinidad and Tobago, but lost to England. They went on to the semi-finals but couldn’t go past Malaysia’s team and ended with a bronze medal match with New Zealand, which the team won convincingly.

“This is a historic win. The team DOTA has made the entire country proud by winning the bronze medal in the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship 2022. Moreover, it’s a dream come true for the Indian Esports Ecosystem as we have won the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2018 as well. The entire esports community is overwhelmed with this win and will fuel many esports athletes to represent India on a global stage in coming years,” said Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation.

“Our next stop will be Asian Games 2022, where Esports is a proper medal event, and our focus is to excel in the tournament with multiple podiums finishes and bringing the laurels for our country. The esports community wants and requires esports to be recognised by the government as a sport in India to gain the benefits and support any sports community and athletes would receive. We want our esports industry to grow, develop and be nurtured just like any other sports in India,” added Mr Suji.

The Indian team in the Rocket League, which Hargun Singh led with Sandeep Sahani and Rushil Reddy, were not able to make it through after losing out to Canada by 3-0 in the best of five series in their first group stage match. The team faced similar defeats against Wales and England, which resulted in their exit from the Commonwealth Esports Championship early in the group stage.

One of the country’s top sports and Esports specialised communication firms, Artsmith – Concepts & Visions and India’s Leading Multiplex chain INOX continue their support for this prestigious tournament as the communication and multiplex partners of ESFI, respectively.

Commonwealth Games & Global Esports Federation organised the inaugural multi-nation esports tournament, scheduled in Birmingham from August 6-7. The 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships were conducted at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham with the presence of the world’s top Esports teams. Alongside DOTA2 and Rocket League, PES2022 was also part of the tournament.

Navanwita Bora Sachdev

Navanwita is the editor of The Tech Panda who also frequently publishes stories in news outlets such as The Indian Express, Entrepreneur India, and The Business Standard

Recent Posts

Why everything is a subscription now & what it means for your wallet

In the last decade, purchasing and accessing products and services have undergone a radical transformation.…

6 hours ago

Mumbai students win big at robotics championship in Chicago, headed to world finals

In an exceptional achievement, Mumbai-based high school robotics team Sigma 9692 has won the prestigious…

8 hours ago

Indian gaming shifts from audience to creator “given India’s mobile-first gaming capabilities”

The Indian gaming industry is sitting on an industry explosion in the near future as…

1 day ago

Transforming modern business operations: How Microsoft 365’s AI Integration is automating HR workflows & enhancing employee experiences

In today's fast-paced business world, when employee fulfillment and efficiency are crucial, technology has become…

1 day ago

Outbound & inbound: India attracts businesses from UK, China & US while expanding to Middle East

The Tech Panda takes a look at how India has been attracting foreign businesses from…

2 days ago

UPI value & volume surpass records in March

India’s digital payments ecosystem achieved a record high in March, with UPI transactions reaching INR24.77…

2 days ago