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The Directorate of Sports and Youth Services of Maharashtra’s Government has made a historic move by awarding a substantial amount of INR ten lakhs per Esports athlete of each state that represented India at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. It is a landmark moment in Indian Esports as this is the first state to include Esports in its prize money for state players at a major tournament. Darshan Batta, the captain of DOTA 2 and his teammates Krish Goyal Ketan Goli Shubham Goli as well as League of Legends player Samarth Trivedi are among those who received this monetary award.
Darshan Bata from Mumbai expressed his gratitude to ESFI for honoring the DOTA 2 team and the Maharashtra Government. “I’d like to thank you both for recognizing Esports and supporting us.”
At the Asian Games in 2022, Esports was introduced as a medal event. A total of 476 athletes representing 30 countries competed to win gold medals on seven different titles. India took part in four of the titles: DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online (formerly League of Legends), Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and EA Sports FC Online.
Ketan Goyal, a Pune resident who was a member of the DOTA 2 Team at the Asian Games in 2022 said: “It’s been a wonderful experience. I am grateful for all the support that I received from Maharashtra and I appreciate the contributions made by ESFI to our journey.”
Esports Federation of India, (ESFI) has sent a talented Indian contingent to the Asian Games. They organized online nationwide qualifiers for all athletes and selected the most deserving ones to represent the country at the event.
“Really pleased to see Esports getting recognized by the government and that we are receiving assistance from them.” “Thank you Maharashtra Government for your support and a shout out to ESFI who gave us the opportunity to represent India at the Asian Games,” said Krish Gupta, a Pune-based member of the Indian DOTA2 team.
After competing against the best teams on the continent, the League of Legends Team achieved an historic fifth place finish at the 19th Asian Games.
“I am very grateful to Maharashtra for the financial assistance.” It’s amazing to see Esports recognized by the government. “A huge shout out to ESFI for providing us with the opportunity to compete at Asian Games 2022, in Hangzhou,” said Samarth Trivedi of Thane, who was a key player in the performance of the country in League of Legends during the tournament.
India’s video gaming prowess was also showcased on the international scene with a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Esports Championships for DOTA 2.
“Thank you ESFI team and ESFI for your support during Asian Games 2022. Maharashtra Government has been very supportive of Esports and is considering Esports for events such as Commonwealth and Asian Games. We feel blessed and honored. Shubham Goli from Pune, who represented India in DOTA 2 at the Asian Games 2022 and the Commonwealth Esports Championships. According to the latest FICCI/EY report, titled #Reinvent: India’s Media & Entertainment Sector is Innovating for The Future’, India will have 20 international teams in 2024.
Maharashtra’s government has recognized and supported Esports as a legitimate activity in the country.
