Indian athletes competing in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition will face Saudi Arabia and Vietnam on September 26 in the first round of the Esports events at the upcoming Asian Games 2022. To begin their campaigns, veteran Indian athlete Mayank Prajapati (MiKeYROG) will compete against T.F. Rajikhan (Taloobreaker) of Saudi Arabia while Ayan Biswas (AYAN01) will face K.H.C Nguyen (Shin) of Vietnam. Both athletes will start the competition in the Round of 32, which will use a double-elimination format.
Indian Street Fighter Athletes Set To Debut in Asian Games
35 prominent athletes from 22 different nations will compete in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition for the chance to win a medal. The loser bracket final and grand final will be played in a best-of-seven (BO7) format, while other matches will be played in the best-of-three (BO3) format. By making to the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC), which were run by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) last year, Mayank and Ayan qualified for the Asian Games 2022. The two gamers are well-known figures in the Street Fighter V community in India because they dominated the game for a really long time.
Mayank Prajapati had this to say about the opportunity to represent India on the big stage:
The road to the Asian Games has been challenging, but now that the tournament is upon us the feeling is surreal. We have left no stone unturned in our preparation for the title and eagerly await to take on our opponents. I would like to thank ESFI for their invaluable support in terms of providing us with the best possible equipment and coaching to help us perform at the highest level.
Ayan Biswas also had the following to say about India at the Asian Games:
Getting the opportunity to represent India at such a prestigious international tournament in Street Fighter for an official medal is a sign of how far Esports has come. Competing at the Asian Games 2022 is more than a personal achievement for us as the entire nation's hopes are on our shoulders. We hope to make the country proud with our performances and win a historic medal at the tournament.
The Asian Games in 2022 will mark Esports' official medal sport debut after it was featured as a showcase event in 2018. India will compete in four of the seven games that will be played at the Esports event, which will take place in China's Hangzhou Esports Centre from September 24 to October 2. These games are DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.