Wasfi Bilal and Shubham will represent India at the BRICS Esports Championship in November after finishing in the top two places at the Esports Federation of India’s (ESFI) National Esports Championships 2024 (NESC24).
Wasfi Bilal, aka YoshiKiller, went undefeated at NESC24 in Tekken 8 on 12-13 October edging out Shubham 3-2 in the winners final. Shubham then defeated Abhinav Tejan (Tejan) in the losers final to set up a rematch with YoshiKiller in the grand final but lost by the same scoreline finishing runner-up.
The two will now make up Team India at the BEC in Moscow, Russia next month and take on teams from China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates at Moscow’s VK Play Arena.
Players will face off in round-robin group stages and Olympic-style playoffs before the finals on Sunday 10 November will determine who takes home the 1.5 million Russian Rubles in prize money ($15,456).
“Winning the NESC24 is an incredible feeling, especially knowing that I’ll be representing India at the BEC 2024 in Moscow,” said Wasfi Bilal. “It’s been a journey of dedication, long hours of practice, and the support of an amazing community. I can’t wait to showcase what we can achieve globally and make my country proud.”
Meanwhile, Shubham, who represented India at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, expressed his happiness with making the cut to compete in Moscow. “Finishing as the runner-up at NESC24 is something I’m incredibly proud of,” he said. “I gave it everything I had, and I’m honoured to have come this far. Earning the chance to represent India at the BEC 2024 in Moscow is a dream come true, and I’m excited to prove myself on the international stage. The journey’s just beginning.”
As the governing body for esports in India, ESFI has helped esports grow globally and played a pivotal role in seeing the country formally recognise the discipline for inclusion in multi-sports events.
