NOC SL partners InGame to launch international esports events

NOC SL Secretary General Maxwell Silva (second from left) with the agreement with InGame Entertainment CEO Raveen Wijayatilake.  The others in the picture are NOC SL Consultant Gobinath Sivarajah, NOC SL Head of Media S.R. Pathiravithana and InGame Entertainment Director Vikum Jayasekera

Gamer.LK, the driving force for esports in Sri Lanka and South Asia, has joined hands with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC SL) to position the country as the hub for esports in the region. 

Gamer.LK is a brand of parent company InGame Entertainment Ltd. and has been promoting esports since 2007. With this partnership, Gamer.LK’s expertise in esports will be combined with the NOC SL’s traditional sports background to hold large-scale international esports events hosted in Sri Lanka. The first of such will be the InGame Esports South Asia Cup happening in January 2020 where six of the best CS:GO teams from the region will fly to Sri Lanka to compete.

Commenting on the occasion NOC SL General Secretary Maxwell de Silva said: “While it is a partnership, we feel it is also a very strategic move in a larger context. Esports is already an IOC accepted norm and it was a part of the last Asian Games as a demonstration event which was conducted in 2018 and so would be at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. However at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China it will be fully-fledged medal event. So, IOC is also taking serious note of Esports and will be a part of the main stream of affairs sooner than later. So, as far as we are concerned we have made a well calculated move at the ripe moment.”

Sri Lanka Esports Association Founding President and Gamer.LK CEO Raveen Wijayatilake said: “With this partnership, we are strengthening Sri Lanka’s position in the region as a leader in esports. We’re happy that the NOC SL leadership is forward thinking, which enables us as a country to be competitive in what is going to be the biggest revolution in sport in the coming years – esports.”

Esports was recently recognised as the fastest growing sport in Sri Lanka based on the number of players taking part in tournaments, and spectators watching competitive games. Esports is the competitive play of video games, which has turned into a professional sport globally and received recognition as a sport by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports in September this year.

The NOC SL has worked with Gamer.LK and the Sri Lanka Esports Association to promote the sport in the past, with a national Esports team being sent to the 18th Asian Games. The Inter-School Esports Championship held in September of this year also received NOC SL endorsement in order to find and groom the best youth esports talent to represent the country at international events in the next five years. The event saw over 150 schools from across the island register to take part in the event, dispelling any myths that the sport is niche and limited to urban areas.