Hornbill Esports Championship Season 2 kicks off in Kohima with a prize pool of INR 10 lakh, attended by Abu Metha.
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KOHIMA — The Hornbill Esports Championship Season 2 began at Indira Gandhi Stadium (IGS), Kohima, on Monday, with Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland and Chairman of IDAN, Abu Metha, attending as the special guest.
The event is being organised by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports (DYRS) in collaboration with the Esports Association of Nagaland (ESAN) and will culminate on December 9 with the Esports Music Festival.
Addressing the programme, Metha commended the Department of Youth Resources and Sports for organising the championship.
He stated that in the present age, esports is an area that cannot be undermined, saying that whether one likes it or not, it is all over the place and has become a modern-day vibe and trend.
Asserting that esports is a billion-dollar industry played by people of all ages, especially the youth, across the world, he said esports has become a part and parcel of modern-day life.
Metha maintained that the Government of Nagaland, through the department, has taken up this initiative after realising this reality, as it does not want its youth to miss out on the opportunities of this industry.
Noting that the next international championship will be held in Saudi Arabia and will offer millions of dollars in prize money, he also maintained that in last year’s India Esports Championship, a youngster from Nagaland won a prize, adding that it shows the youth from the state are talented in this field.
Asserting that the government is not undermining this sector but is moving with the times, he said it is organising such events and assured that in the months and years to come, esports will grow bigger in Nagaland and in India. He also claimed that currently, among state government-organised esports events, Nagaland is one of the highest prize money givers in the country.
Metha said esports is not only about enjoyment but also about career prospects, as young people across the world are earning and making a living from it. He added that beyond playing, there are creators developing games, creating content and building positive and promising careers.
He stated that esports is also relevant to mainstream physical sports, reiterating that during his visits to top sports academies, he observed youngsters being made to play esports to familiarise themselves with the dynamics of the game before reaching the stage of active professional participation.
Commending the athletes who made it through the qualifying rounds and reached the finals from different parts of the country, he encouraged them to visit the Hornbill Festival not only to celebrate but also to network.
He urged the athletes to take the positive experiences of Nagaland back home, share them with others and return with more friends and family in the future, requesting them to act as ambassadors of Nagaland and the Naga people wherever they go.
Furthermore, Metha assured that the Government of Nagaland would extend full support to make esports bigger, stating that Nagaland should emerge as a centre for esports not only nationally but also internationally in the coming years.
The Hornbill Esports Championship Season 2 features a total prize pool of INR 10 lakh, with athletes competing in BGMI, Mobile Legends 5v5, FC 25, E-Chess and E-Football.