Hornbill Esports Championship Season 2 finale on December 8-9

KOHIMA — The Department of Youth Resources and Sports (YRS), in collaboration with the Esports Association of Nagaland (ESAN), announced the launch of the Hornbill Esports Championship Season 2 on Wednesday.

The finale is scheduled for December 8 and 9, culminating with the Esports Music Festival.

This was announced by Kethosituo Sekhose, director of YRS, in the presence of Jakedovo Chase, joint director, Naroenla, youth resource officer, and officials of ESAN during a press conference at the Directorate of Youth Resources and Sports, Kohima.

Sekhose said the event is a flagship programme under the Hornbill Festival that continues to position Nagaland as a rising hub for competitive gaming and youth engagement. He added that last year saw a good turnout of participants as well as strong viewership.

He informed that there were more than 1,50,000 viewers on their social media handles, and over 500 people attended the two-day event on the ground last year.

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The director said, “This year we expect the event to be a little bigger again because we have introduced a few more titles, and the prize money has increased from last year’s INR 6 lakh to INR 10 lakh.”

He stated that this has been possible due to sponsorships from various companies.

The Grand LAN Finals will be hosted at Indira Gandhi Stadium (IGS), Kohima, featuring top esports athletes and teams from across India.

Sekhose highlighted that in BGMI, there are 16 qualifying teams — one each from Nagaland, Bihar, and Mizoram; two from West Bengal; four from Manipur; and seven from Assam — with a prize pool of INR 4.5 lakh.

The grand prize will carry INR 1.5 lakh; second prize INR 90,000; third INR 60,000; fourth INR 35,000; fifth INR 30,000; sixth INR 25,000; seventh INR 20,000; eighth INR 15,000; and ninth and tenth INR 10,000 each, while the MVP will be awarded INR 5,000.

For Mobile Legends 5v5, there are eight qualifying teams—two each from Nagaland and Assam and one each from Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur, and Kerala—with a prize pool of INR 3 lakh and diamonds worth INR 1 lakh.

The grand prize will carry INR 1,50,000 plus 30,000 diamonds; second prize INR 75,000 plus 20,000 diamonds; third prize INR 45,000 plus 15,000 diamonds; fourth prize INR 30,000 plus 10,000 diamonds; fifth prize 8,000 diamonds; sixth 7,000 diamonds; seventh 6,000 diamonds; and eighth 4,000 diamonds.

For E-Chess, 11 athletes have qualified for the finals, with a prize pool of INR 75,000. The grand prize carries INR 35,000; second INR 20,000; third INR 12,000; and fourth INR 8,000.

For E-Football, 14 athletes have qualified for the finals, with a prize pool of INR 1 lakh. The grand prize carries INR 50,000; second INR 25,000; third INR 15,000; and fourth INR 10,000.

For FC 25, there are 60 registered players, with a prize pool of INR 75,000. The grand prize carries INR 35,000; second INR 20,000; third INR 12,000; and fourth INR 8,000.

Sekhose informed that this year, at the Khelo India Youth Games, esports was organised for the first time, wherein one of the athletes from Nagaland bagged the gold medal in E-Football.

He pointed out that there will be participation from about 512 athletes and teams and 240 individual competitors, making this the largest esports registration in the state to date.

The director stated that on the evening of December 9, there will be an Esports Music Festival right after the prize distribution, featuring artists such as Polar Lights and Abdon Mech from Nagaland, Guru Gee from Mizoram, and Zephyrtone from Pune.

He maintained that the department is organising this esports event for the second consecutive year because esports and the esports community are emerging as an important milestone in the sports industry.

Stating that esports has been recognised as an Olympic discipline by the International Olympic Committee, he expressed belief that esports will play a major role in Viksit Bharat 2047, as the community is growing in leaps and bounds.

He expressed confidence that with the introduction of esports as a mainstream sport, society and the government will be able to regulate it properly and introduce detoxification programmes so that children do not get addicted but use the platform to express themselves.

The director acknowledged Neiphiu Rio, chief minister of Nagaland, for allowing the department to continue the youth empowerment programme this year as well.

He said the Hornbill Esports Championship is emerging as an important milestone in the sports industry, reflecting the state government’s commitment to recognising and nurturing the talents of youth. He added that esports offers a unique platform for young people in the state to showcase their abilities with confidence.

He asserted that the government aims to ensure that talented youth are not left behind but are encouraged to compete, grow, and lead in this dynamic arena.

It was informed that the online qualifiers were conducted from October 16 to November 9 and were broadcast on YouTube, enabling qualifiers to vie for the finale in a clear and transparent manner, with no state quota.

The director also stressed the need to promote sports tourism, stating that esports aligns with this goal and creates opportunities to boost the economy. He highlighted that esports athletes and companies are among the richest globally.

The inaugural programme will be held on December 8 at 9 am, and the closing ceremony on December 9 at 5 pm.