Global Esports Games: Street Fighter athlete Mayank Prajapati and eFootball star Hemanth Kommu wins NESC qualifiers

In the 2023 National Esports Championships (NESC), organized by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) for the upcoming Global Esports Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, two prominent figures from the Indian Esports community, Mayank Prajapati, a veteran of Street Fighter, and Hemanth Kommu, a star in eFootball, showcased their exceptional skills and emerged as champions.

Mayank, also known as MiKeYROG, is slated to represent India in the 2022 Asian Games, where Esports will debut as an official medal sport. He effortlessly secured victory in the Street Fighter 6 qualifiers, competing against 14 talented athletes, including Ayan Biswas, India's other Street Fighter representative for the Asian Games. In the final, the 33-year-old triumphed with a 3-1 score against Prateek Singh Bhaunt.

Reflecting on his win, Mayank Prajapati expressed his excitement, saying, "I am thrilled to emerge victorious in the NESC 2023. Since the launch of Street Fighter 6, the game's popularity has been steadily growing in the country, and I hope it continues to flourish in the coming years. I'm grateful to ESFI for their unwavering support, and I want to give a big shoutout to the entire Indian Fighting Gaming community for their active participation. Winning against some of the community's top athletes is a significant achievement, and I dedicated myself to rigorous practice and strategy development with different characters to excel in this challenge. Now, I look forward to representing my country in two major international tournaments this year: the Asian Games 2022 and GEG, to elevate the Indian fighting gaming community's reputation on the global stage."

Hemanth, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), clinched the title in the eFootball 2023 qualifiers, which featured 18 participants, including Ibrahim Gulrez, India's representative at the 15th World Esports Championships. Hemanth achieved victory by defeating Emaad Jameel Ahmed (Emaadrox) with identical 2-1 scores in Grand Final 1 and Grand Final 2.

"Securing victory in the eFootball qualifiers is truly an amazing feeling. Through consistent practice and refining my strategies, I've managed to defeat some of the most notable players in the title and move one step closer to representing India at the global finals in Riyadh. I'm thankful to ESFI for providing me with this opportunity and aim to make my country proud with my performances," stated Hemanth Kommu.

The Global Esports Games 2023 (GEG23) is scheduled to occur from December 11 to 16 and will feature four major titles: DOTA 2, Street Fighter, eFootball 2023, and PUBG Mobile, with all participants being above the minimum age of 18 to ensure a fair and competitive environment. India will participate in three of the four titles in the Open category: DOTA 2, eFootball 2023, and Street Fighter 6.