National Esport team to compete at Asian Games

From left: Mohammed Rizny ‘Razer’ Azmy, Sri Lanka Esports President Raveen Wijayatilake, Ramesh ‘Jimmy’ Kavindu, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka Vice President Suranjith Premadasa, PUBGM National Esports team Captain Chamuditha ‘Lucifer’ Watshan, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka Secretary Maxwell de Silva, Riham ‘Tauter’ Ramzi - Pic by Ruwan Walpola

By Althaf Nawaz

The latest entity into the International Sports arena –esports – will finally achieve another landmark in Sri Lanka as their National Esports “PUBG MOBILE” team is set to compete at the 19th Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China, from 23 September to 8 October. This was disclosed at a media briefing held in Colombo last Tuesday.

For the first time in the history, the upcoming Asian Games has opted to introduce esports as an official medal event, marking a significant shift in the sporting landscape. This move enables countries to assemble their athletes to compete in esports titles, with the performance of these teams contributing to the overall medal tally of each nation.

Sri Lanka finds itself at the forefront of this global change as the Sri Lanka Esports National PUBG MOBILE team makes their way to the Asian Games 2023 with a team consisting of esports athletes Chamuditha ‘Lucifer’ Watshan, Rizny ‘Razor’ Azmy, Ramesh ‘JIMMY’ Kavindu, Riham ‘Tauter’ Ramzi and Tharindu ‘Mamatha’ Induwara.

At the heart of this journey stands the Sri Lanka Esports Association, an entity established in 2010 to serve as the governing body for esports in the country. The association’s efforts have garnered recognition from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Sri Lanka who recognised esports as an official sport in 2019, thereby attesting its pivotal role in propelling esports to a professional echelon within the nation.

Sri Lanka Esports President Raveen Wijayatilake, who will be the Team Manager for the contingent, said: “With Esports being the fastest growing sport in Sri Lanka, I’m excited to see Sri Lankan Esports athletes getting the opportunity to represent their country and compete for medals at the Asian Games this year. Esports is a young sport, and we look forward to instilling Olympic values in this next generation of digital athletes through esports. With the support of our esports community, we wish our team the very best to not just win but to inspire the next generation of esports athletes of the country.”

The exponential growth of esports in Sri Lanka over recent years has provided a fertile ground for the emergence of exceptional esports talents. These athletes have proudly donned the Sri Lankan colours on prestigious international stages, exemplified by their participation in the International Esports Federation’s World Championships and Global Esports Games.

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, has been at the helm of uplifting esports for over a decade by powering gaming competitions in Sri Lanka.

In the recent past, Dialog’s strategic partnership with SLESA has empowered the training and development of vital skills for avid local gamers and helped bring structured esports to all corners of the island. With the widest 4G coverage in Sri Lanka and constant network optimisations, Dialog delivers on its commitment towards bridging the digital divide by enabling Esports to prosper in the rural peripheries of Sri Lanka.

Gamer.LK, Sri Lanka’s premier esports company is the Strategic Partner for the National Esports Team. At the forefront of Sri Lanka’s esports industry, Gamer.LK’s consistent efforts in organising Esports tournaments and activities have caused rapid growth in Sri Lankan Esports over the last decade.

With the Asian Games and this significant milestone, SLESA’s focus remains steadfast on nurturing Esports talents and representing Sri Lanka on the global stage. The association believes that this event is just the beginning of a promising journey, where Sri Lanka’s Esports landscape will continue to grow and achieve greater recognition in the international arena.