By Shaikhah Al-Tamimi (OCA Young Reporter from Kuwait)
Hangzhou, China, September 26, 2023: Continuing its glistening winning streak, host China snatched the first-ever gold medal in e-sports at the Asian Games by defeating Malaysia 2-0.
E-sports is making its debut as a medal event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, paving the way towards the Olympics in the future.
In an arena specifically prepared for the highly anticipated competition, spectators had their eager eyes glued to the big screens as China and Malaysia players picked their eTeams in the smartphone game Arena of Valor Asian Games edition.
From the starting minutes, the crowd roared with cheers by China fans as both teams wasted no time in strategically striking each others’ targets.
During the 5v5 game, players cooperate to destroy enemy towers before obliterating the main target which is the enemy team’s crystal by incorporating their virtual character’s strengths and traits into the game strategy.
With no time to waste and eyes pictured gold, China’s team was able to push back the Malaysian team while simultaneously and swiftly destroying their towers and prized crystal.
Encouraged by winning the first round of the game, China maintained its lead against Malaysia in the second round by combining elements of brute force and stealth.
As such, China’s team had an approach of “attack first, ask questions later”, obliterating the defenses of the Malaysian team one by one while simultaneously focusing on eliminating the towers and main crystal.
Less than 15 minutes into the round, the game intensified, leading to fans holding their breath as the focus was on the final towered Crystal was destroyed by the swift Chinese team.
Earlier in the day, Thailand had grabbed e-sports' first-ever Asian Games medal by beating Vietnam to win Arena of Valor bronze.
Medals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, including Arena of Valor, League of Legends and EA Sports FC Online.
