Street Fighter, a game that was initially played in arcades but has since made its way to consoles and PCs, is one of the traditional esports titles that have served as the cornerstones of the video gaming industry. The journey of Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas, two athletes who will compete for India in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition in the next Asian Games in Hangzhou, is parallel to the development of the game.
Both athletes have overcome a lot of obstacles from arcades to one of the largest multisport competitions in the world, but they did so with incredible willpower and talent. The athletes are now prepared to represent their nation against the top competitors from Asia after winning the National Esports Championships (NESC) held by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) thanks to their superior skill set, game plans, and devotion.
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Indian Athletes at Asian Games 2022
Mayank Prajapati believed it was his time to shine the moment he learned Street Fighter V will be included at the 2022 Asian Games. The 32-year-old Delhi-based interior designer carefully planned his days so that he could take care of his 2-year-old child, concentrate on his design projects, and play the multiplayer online game for at least four to five hours every night. He gained a position on the India squad because of his ability and discipline.
Prajapati began playing the game in 2009 after accidently buying it and falling in love with it. "My wife goes with me to my games and is my biggest supporter," he says. Prajapati is getting ready for China by watching the moves of the competitors he anticipates facing there. "We don't get to play against a lot of foreign opponents, but my buddies like to test me with novel plays and ideas," he says.
Achievements:
- 1st in Dreamhack Dec, 2019 (Delhi)
- 2nd in Dew Arena May 2019 (Delhi)
- 1st in Best of the Best 2015 Ultra Street Fighter-4 (Gurgaon)
- Top 16 at Intel World Open SEA Region (Jun, 21)
- 1st in Esportz Premiere League Qualifier 2
- 3rd in Esportz Premiere League Finals
Ayan Biswas, who hails from the town of Birnagar, overcame obstacles and prejudice to establish himself as a formidable opponent in Street Fighter V. Ayan has always found comfort in video games, but he had to climb the ranks as he started his journey in his most cherished game.
“Being unaware of the game’s mechanics when I started, I was losing almost all of my games online. So, I began watching skilled players and studying how they played the game. After that, I experimented with different tactics to create my own ideas and focused on improving my skills. I have to admit, it was tough to learn, and I even played the game for more than 5 hours a day at times,”
His commitment and numerous hours of practice allowed him to satisfy his love for esports and helped him become an expert at the game Street Fighter V. He won the 2020 India Esports competition after taking first place in both the Dew Arena and Dreamhack Mumbai in 2018. Ayan went beyond national boundaries, showcasing his talent on the global stage by earning a well-deserved top-16 result at the Intel World Open SEA Region competition in 2021.
Ayan, who is now playing the game at the Super Diamond rank, prefers Birdie to Akuma and Bison. His ambitions for the Asian Games in Hangzhou are motivated by his dedication and drive to succeed.
Achievements:
- 2nd at Dreamhack Delhi, 2019
- 1st at Dew Arena, 2018
- 1st at Dreamhack - Mumbai, 2018
- 1st at INDIA ESPORTS, 2020
- Top 16 at the Intel World Open SEA Region 2021
Having been included as a demonstration title in 2018, esports is going to make its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the 19th Asian Games where India will be participating in four titles: League of Legends, FIFA, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and DOTA 2.
One of the country's top sports & esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will extend its support to the Esports Federation of India as their official communication partner.
While India’s League of Legends team secured a favourable seeding by going unbeaten against Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan at their LAN seeding event in Macau, the nation’s DOTA 2 team came second in their seeding group, finishing in the top eight in the overall event that was conducted online.
The country’s prominent FIFA athletes Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh Tikka will be travelling to Seoul, South Korea for their seeding event that will take place from August 2 to August 6.
