E-Sports championship gets flagship event status at Nagaland's Hornbill Festival

Kohima, Dec 3 (PTI) The Department of Youth Resources and Sports (YRS) in the Nagaland government on Wednesday announced that the Hornbill E-Sports Championship Season 2 will be held as a flagship event of the ongoing Hornbill Festival.

Addressing a press conference here, YRS director Kethosituo Sekhose said the event scheduled for December 8 and 9 at Indira Gandhi Stadium Kohima, will feature expanded game titles, increased prize money and the highest-ever e-sports participation recorded in the state.

He said it is being organised in collaboration with the E-Sports Association of Nagaland (ESAN). He said Season 2 would be bigger than last year, noting that the number of registered participants has reached 512 athletes and teams, with an additional 240 individual competitors.

According to Sekhose, the prize money has been raised from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The first edition last year drew more than 1.5 lakh online viewers and over 500 on-ground spectators, he said.

The championship will feature the following titles: BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) – 16 has qualifying teams including one from Nagaland, three from Manipur, seven from Assam, one from Bihar, one from Mizoram and two from West Bengal will compete for the prize pool of Rs 4,50,000.

Moba Legends 5v5, a new addition has eight teams with two from Nagaland, one each from Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur & Kerala and two from Assam. Its prize pool is Rs 3,00,000 and Diamonds worth Rs 1,00,000.

E-Chess with 11 athletes has a prize pool of Rs 75,000, E-Football with 14 athletes has a prize pool of Rs 1,00,000 and FC 25 with 60 registered players has a prize pool of Rs 75,000.

Sekhose noted that esports featured for the first time at the Khelo India Youth Games, where a Nagaland athlete won gold in E-Football.

ESAN president Thejavituo Sekhose said the qualifiers were conducted online in October and November, with matches broadcast on YouTube. Finalists have been selected for the LAN finals, he said.

YRS director Sekhose said the selection process was fair and transparent, adding that no state quota was applied to encourage participation from outside Nagaland. He said such participation would promote sports tourism in the state.

Following the closing ceremony, the department will host the Esports Music Festival, featuring: Polar Lights & Abdon Mech of Nagaland, Guru Gee from Mizoram and Zephyrtone from Pune.

Sekhose said e-sports continues to grow rapidly worldwide, especially after being recognised by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic discipline.

He described e-sports as a "billion-dollar industry" and said Nagaland and Mizoram were identified as India's fastest-growing e-sports states at the All India Game Developers Conference held in Hyderabad.

He said several youths in the state are engaged in game development, design, and esports-related services.

The department, he said, is exploring the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Esports, envisioned as a hub for game developers, athletes, designers, marketers, and digital advertisers.

Sekhose said such a facility would help local youth gain industry exposure without leaving the state.

Responding to questions on whether e-sports could negatively impact physical sports, the Director said esports athletes require physical fitness, adding that advanced e-sports facilities, particularly in East Asia, include gyms and detox support for players.

The proposed Centre of Excellence, he said, would incorporate similar support systems. PTI NBS AH