India Prepares for Esports at Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2024
The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has opened registrations for the National Esports Championship 2024 (NESC24). This championship will act as the qualifiers for the esports event at the sixth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand.
Event Details
The 6th AIMAG, organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), will feature 36 sports and two demonstration sports. The esports event, now a full-fledged medal sport, will be held in Chonburi, Thailand, at Central Sriracha from November 23 to 28, 2024. It will include three mobile games: Mobile Legend Bang Bang (female category, team event), Arena of Valor (open category, team event), and eFootball (open category, individual event).
India’s Participation
India will compete only in the eFootball mobile category, as Arena of Valor and Mobile Legend Bang Bang are banned in India. The NESC24 will be held online in the first week of August, with quarter-finals onwards streamed live on YouTube. This event will give Indian players a chance to showcase their skills in eFootball mobile.
Comments from ESFI
Lokesh Suji, Director of ESFI and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF), said, “The upcoming Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand underline the growing significance of esports in multi-sports events. Esports’ elevation from a demonstration event to a full-fledged medal event within the short span between two editions is further proof of the same.”
He added, “Through NESC24, we will select the finest Indian players in eFootball mobile, best primed to win medals at a continental stage and bring glory to the nation. We anticipate a competitive qualifying field and are looking forward to witnessing some of the country’s best in action.”
Important Dates
The 6th AIMAG will start on November 21 and run until November 30, 2024. The eFootball mobile category will have group stage matches on November 23 and 24, playoffs on November 26, and the final gold medal round on November 27. Registrations for NESC24 are open until July 31, 2024, with online qualifiers in the first week of August.
Doubts Revealed
Esports -: Esports is short for electronic sports. It is a form of competition using video games. Players compete against each other in games on computers or mobile devices.
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games -: This is a big sports event where athletes from many Asian countries compete in indoor sports and martial arts. It happens every few years.
Esports Federation of India (ESFI) -: ESFI is an organization in India that manages and promotes esports. They help organize competitions and support Indian players.
National Esports Championship 2024 (NESC24) -: NESC24 is a big competition in India where players compete in video games. The winners get a chance to represent India in international events.
eFootball -: eFootball is a video game where players control virtual football teams. It is similar to playing real football but on a computer or mobile device.
bans on other games -: Some video games are not allowed to be played in India because the government has banned them. This can be due to various reasons like security concerns.
online -: Online means using the internet. In this context, it means the competition will happen over the internet, and players will not need to be in the same place.
registrations -: Registrations mean signing up to take part in something. Here, it means players need to sign up to compete in the National Esports Championship.