Online mobile games, once considered merely a pastime, are now turning into a competitive arena. The country hosted its largest esports championship in Thimphu, which concluded yesterday. The championship brought together top gamers from across the country, competing for a prize pool of Nu 1 M.
Inside the Norling building in Thimphu, the atmosphere has been electric for the past few days.
Rows of players, eyes fixed on their screens, competed in what was called as the country’s biggest esports event to date.
Organised by the Bhutan Esports Association, the championship drew over two thousand participants from across the country, with only 138 finalists making it to the four-day championship.
With a prize pool of Nu 1 M, the stakes were high. But for many, the goal went beyond just winning.
Kuenzang Wangchuk, the winner of Tekken said, “I had participated in six tournaments over six years and won five of them. I am very happy to win this time as well. I had been practicing day and night, and this result reflected my hard work.”
Likewise, the winner of Chess, Karma Kelzang said, “I had not got such opportunities before. I had mixed emotions winning it. Most play with the intention to only win. It is not necessary to always win. We can play because of our interest in it and also in the process, we can make new friends.”
Dawa Yangchen from team Onyx and the winner of the MLBB said, “I am participating for the first time and was nervous at first, but as I went on playing, I gained confidence and could perform well. These games are not just for fun, I feel like it is developing skills such as our cognitive skills. So I think it is good. So I would encourage others to take such opportunity as well.”
For PUBG, the winning team was Team Makpen, and one of its members, Thinlay Wangyel, said “Esports is not really common in Bhutan right now but I would encourage more people to play it. It is not necessary to earn a living just by studying because there are people who are earning really in the global arena. And I believe we can do it too.”
According to organisers, the championship was designed to channel the growing gaming culture into meaningful opportunities.
Ngawang Gyeltshen, President, Bhutan Esports Association said, “We organised this event with the objective to give a platform to our athletes. Everyone plays mobile games these days and if we do not conduct such tournaments, it will be a waste of time for them to simply play. Through such platforms, our athletes not only have the opportunity to earn some money, but also compete with other countries as well.”
The Bhutan Esports Association plans to make the championship an annual event, alongside introducing more tournaments and grassroots programmes to build a strong talent pipeline.
The association will identify national champions who will go on to represent Team Bhutan in international esports competitions.
Deki Lhazom
