New Delhi, India, January 7, 2023: The President of the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), Vinod Tiwari, has described the government’s decision to officially recognise electronic sports as “huge news” for all e-gamers in the country.
In a broadcast interview with Power Sportz News Stream, Mr Tiwari said the development would aid the federation in attracting sponsorship revenue and corporate backing to support e-gamers throughout India.
“It is huge news for all the e-gamers in India,” he said.
“At least now the government has come forward and recognised esports as a sport and not as a gaming industry which everybody thought esports was.
“The idea now is to streamline everything and bring everybody under one umbrella, and start getting some funds and funding our e-gamers more and more and sending them to the tournaments outside India to play and bring laurels for the country.”
Mr Tiwari said the esports eco system had been in place for several years in India and that the ESFI, under their own resources, had been sending teams to events for the past 15 years.
Now, with the government backing, the federation plans to hold tournaments and national championships and attract sponsors and the corporate sector in order to develop the sport in all parts of India.
“There are two important tournaments coming up this year – the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where esports will be an official medal sport for the first time, and the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand.
“The Esports Federation of India will now organise qualifications for our athletes to take part in these two major events.”
Mr Tiwari said China, Korea, Japan and Thailand were at the forefront of esports in Asia but that India had hopes of a podium place in some of the titles on the programme.