You are probably a parent who tried every ruse in the 'Tough Parenting Manual' to get your child to stop gaming, and had your way. Or, you are probably that unfortunate child whose gaming consoles were bundled off. Here's some news for both of you.
This September, Andrew Chrisanthus, a student of Madras Christian College, made it to the semi-finals of the South East Asia Division Community Cup, organised by ESL Gaming, an organisation that conducts gaming tournaments across the world.
So, parents can no longer use the time-worn argument that "nothing good comes out of gaming". If they did, their gaming-children now have a weapon to destroy that argument.
Chrisanthus, a resident of Triplicane, led a five-member team that excelled in a game called Rainbow 6 Seige in Year 2 Season 2 of the afore-mentioned tournament.
They lost in the semi-finals, but getting that far in this tourney is no mean feat.
“It's all practice. I have college only for 4 to 5 hours, so I am left with enough time to practise and hone my gaming skills. I will take part in many more gaming competitions and if I get a chance to become a full-time professional gamer, I will surely pursue it,” says Andrew.
Of the other four members in his team, three are from India (Jason, Sanjay and Girish) and one is from Singapore (Loki).
Andrew and his team members, who are in different geographical locations, practise well into the night and devise strategies for their games. Andrew is a journalism major at Madras Christian College and he gives the lie to the notion that young gamers neglect their studies.
E-sports -- as professional gaming is now being referred to -- is turning into one of the most-watched sports across the world. The Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2017 event was watched by over 46 million online viewers, making it the third most watched sporting event after Super Bowl and Soccer.
League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch and Rainbow 6 Seige also have a huge following, largely because they support competitive gaming.
India is beginning to gain gaming ground, with many youngsters like Andrew keen on trying out their gaming skills on an international stage.
