Esports takes another step forward as 2022 CEC wraps

The maiden edition of the Commonwealth Esports Championships (CEC) wrapped up yesterday, August 7, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, England.

The event brought together gamers from all over the globe, including countries like Australia, Malaysia, Kenya, India, and the host nation of England, to participate in what could only be described as the biggest step forward towards the full recognition of esports.

Over 100 gamers took part in the intense competitions that the three games—Dota 2, eFootball, and Rocket League—at the event had to offer from August 6-7. However, before the competition could begin, the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Forum (CEF) was held on August 5.

Many key figures and esports athletes such as Global Esports Federation (GEF) President Chris Chan, professional Kenyan esports athlete Sylvia “QueenArrow” Gathoni, and Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Dame Louise Martin were among the over 50 speakers at the event.

Speaking about her experience at the CEF, Kenyan athlete Sylvia “QueenArrow” Gathoni stated she wanted to tell people that there are so many prospects that are open if given the opportunity.

“I was a little nervous, but I really enjoyed sharing my insights, especially as a young thought leader from Africa. I wanted to tell people that there are so many prospects that are open to us if we are given the opportunities.”

“I also wanted to communicate that Africa is an equal. You can’t discuss the Global Esports Federation or #worldconnected without talking about Africa.”

Though no African country won a medal at the maiden edition of the Commonwealth Esports Championships (CEC), the continent did show its incredible potential as the South African men’s Rocket League team made it all the way to the semi-finals of the competition only to lose out to Wales and miss out on a chance for a medal as the team was defeated by Australia in the third place match.

There was also some sad news from West Africa, as the representatives from Ghana and Nigeria were unable to make the event due to unfortunate circumstances.

Both countries had been preparing seriously for the event and the news that they wouldn’t be able to participate hit them really hard, with the coach of the Ghana team, Prince Jefferson, stating “we are really hurt about not going” and “we are broken-hearted.”

Below are the winners of the maiden edition of the Commonwealth Esports Championships (CEC);

Speaking after their bronze medal win in Dota 2, India’s Open team captain Moin Ejaz stated that “This win symbolises the amount of hard work the team has put in over the years and we dedicate this win to our country. Winning a medal at the Commonwealth was a dream for us and we’re super proud as a team.”

“We hope that this win will encourage more tournaments around Dota 2 and other esports titles, which will help the ecosystem as a whole to grow in our country.” He further stated

The Indian Dota 2 Open team of captain Moin Ejaz, Ketan Goyal, Abhishek Yadav, Shubhnam Goli and Vishal Vernekar defeated New Zealand 2-0 in a best-of-three game in the bronze medal playoff at the International Convention Centre.

In the run-up to their third-place finish, the Indian team defeated Wales and lost to England in the group stages to make their way to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual champions Malaysia.

The 2022 CEC came to be due to the partnership between the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) which was announced back in May 2020 and was supported by the British Esports Association (BeSA).