National Sports Day: Celebrating the rise of Esports, India’s new-age sporting phenomenon

Esports, newest dition to sports ecosystem is disrupting tritional norms and making waves all across country. Once considered a niche pastime, Esports has transformed into a global phenomenon that is reshaping tritional sports landscape in numerous ways. As nation gears up to celebrate National Sports Day, let's dive into meteoric rise of this new-age sporting phenomenon. 

For any sport to gain recognition and credibility amongst general population, it is essential to achieve significant success at major international tournaments and Esports fulfills that criterion. With remarkable bronze medals in DOTA 2 title at Commonwealth Games 2022, and also in Hearthstone title at 2018 Asian Games where Esports was a demonstration event under its belt, India has alrey marked its presence on global Esports map.

Now, country is all set to battle it out in four different titles - DOTA 2, FIFA, Street Fighter, and League of Legends at upcoming Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou where Esports is making its debut as a full-fledged medal sport. Regarding this, Sports Ministry has also given its official approval for 15-member contingent to represent nation at prestigious tournament which is a monumental step towards marking growing significance of considering Esports as a mainstream sport.

'I never thought I would be representing India in Esports at such a major international tournament'

Charanjot Singh, a distinguished FIFA athlete of India recently secured top seeding in South Asian region seeding event for Asian Games 2022. Speaking ahe of biggest competition of his life yet,  athlete said, “I never thought I would be representing India in Esports at such a major international tournament. Having started with local tournaments it gives me immense joy to witness this rapid rise of Esports in country. I am happy that people have understood that Esports is just like any or sport as it requires physical reflexes, strong mental strength, dedication, practice, and strategy. Every young kid with a controller in his hand will now be encouraged inste of being scolded.”

While Esports gained stature of a sport when government officially recognized it as a multi-sport event, its legitimacy amongst general public was enhanced when government me amendments to Information and Technology Act to establish a clear distinction between Esports and online gaming. 

Talking about inspiring journey of Esports from being considered a hobby to an official sport, Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of Asian Esports Federation (AESF) stated, “Within a year, Esports has transcended perception of entertainment to reach level of competitive excellence. We are extremely thankful to government for separating Esports from umbrella of online gaming and is not considered to be a part of iGaming, rummy, gambling, etc. With our talented athletes striving for a medal in this year’s Asian Games and official inclusion of Esports as a medal sport for Asian Games 2026 as well, it will help in educating general public about its significance even more. Looking at impressive growth trajectory of ecosystem, we eagerly await its flourishment in country.”

Along with major international tournaments, Esports has also me its way into mainstream media. reach of competitive gaming has extended beyond Esports dedicated platforms, with established sports networks like Star Sports and streaming giants like JioCinema realizing potential of sector by brocasting Esports events to a wider audience.

Sharing his thoughts on mainstreaming of Esports, Animesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives and co-founder of S8UL expressed, " transition from online streaming platforms to renowned sports networks signifies a noteworthy shift in perception of Esports, positioning it on same level as tritional sports. As Esports tournaments become a familiar sight in households across country, re will be a surge in interest and participation, leing to a larger pool of potential talent that we can guide, support, and represent. ditionally, with Esports solidifying its mainstream status, interest from non-endemic brands looking to establish a presence and be a part of gaming community will also skyrocket which is beneficial for overall growth of sector.”

Esports getting status of a mainstream sport has not only led to an upsurge in its popularity and cultural acceptance but has also created a solid foundation at grassroots level for gamers to take it up as a viable career option.

Tanmay Singh also known as ScoutOP who is one of leing gamers in country says, “As an Esports athlete, I feel more validated and motivated to grind than ever before. recognition on different platforms like TV and major streaming services makes me realize that we're part of a rapidly evolving industry that is capturing hearts of people across nation. re has never been a better time to be an Esports athlete, and I am genuinely thrilled to contribute to ongoing gaming revolution in India.”

According to "Windows of Opportunity" report on India's Media and Entertainment industry by FICCI-EY, number of Esports players across all competitive level games in India increased from 600,000 in 2021 to 1 million in 2022, and it is expected to reach 2.5 million in 2023.

As Esports continues to flourish, its landscape is evolving as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and Web3 gaming are pushing boundaries of what is possible. Esports tournaments are being conducted in stiums, degrees, and courses for Esports in educational institutes are becoming common, and even states are building ir own Esports acemies. So, it is safe to say that future of video gaming in India is exciting.