A passion for gaming
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Warriors of different clans flocked in their hundreds to battle it out amongst clan members making strategic moves, constantly discussing, cheering and arguing, while vying for titles.
It was a show of strength for e-sport athletes across the country when young gaming enthusiasts with cyber gaming talents, gathered at the SLIIT Computing City Campus Colombo last weekend, for the annual Gen-X Gaming Competition.
Sharing the excitement of this e-sports festival organized by the Gen-X Gaming Club of SLIIT Computing, were 765 young gamers from around the country with a passion for e-sporting.
Representing the Phoneix Clan Abdul Khalik Moulana (23) who participated at the tournament attributed the success of the Gen-X festival to the large crowd it attracts. Having played Mortal Kombat and Dota 2, this young adult who is employed at a private company belives that cyber games are gaining momentum in the local context gradually, with more awareness being created and tournaments hosted.
A firm believer that there’s more to e – sports than just pushing buttons and staring at a screen, he says “Playing a game requires team work, strategies, quick/ reflective thinking. You learn to handle pressure by playing the game. If you lose, you make a comeback strategy. We gain a lot of out of e-sports.” The Phoenix gaming clan is believed to be one of the biggest clans in Sri Lanka, and one to have dominated many games says Moulana, an e-sport enthusiast who has been into serious gaming since 2009. “We do this to keep the clan’s reputation going and to attract more young people.”
The event is a ranked tournament recognized by Gamer.lk, Sri Lanka who was also the strategic partner of the event. The competition conforms to international rules and standards as well.This year’s tournament featured eight titles such as Call of Duty 4, Dota 2, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Tekkan, Counter Strike Global Offensive, Mortal Kombat and Track Mania. According to the Event Manager/Treasurer Gen-X Club, Iresh Bandara, the event is organized with a view to create a platform for young e-sport fans to sharpen their talents and raise their standards in keeping with international gamers. Raising awareness among parents on how youngsters can move forward in this field of e-gaming which has wide scope in the local as well as the international market is also another objective, he said.
“When children engage in e-gaming, parents usually consider it an obstacle for their studies. But there are alot of job opportunities for people with the skill for game designing and programming now both in Sri Lanka as well as abroad,” he said of the event which has been organized for the second consecutive year. Twenty five year old, Mohamed Azad Marikar, a representative of the Phoenix Gaming Clan has engaged in e-sports for the past five years. While Azad is employed at the moment, he feels events like Gen-X offer a good opportunity for young working people to follow their gaming passion.
“You never lose passion as a gamer. So wherever there are ranked tournaments, we never miss it. In our clan there are people who are married, with kids. As they get busy with other commitments they don’t actively take part in serious gaming but make it a point not to leave the clan, staying on as seniors to motivate the juniors,” he explained. For those who engage in gaming the experience is much more than just about the prize money or the gifts, says Azad. “I represent a particular clan, and when I take part in the game and win a title you become the champion of that clan. It is an experience that you have to feel,” he says.
For gamers the prime aim is to earn a cherished title for one’s clan. Even if it is one person who represents and wins a title, it is ultimately the clan that owns that particular title, “That is a passion we follow by taking part in this type of gaming tournaments,” says Azad. For young gamers who still share a passion for gaming but have to share their passion with hectic work lives, an opportunity to get back into their surreal world, is considered a welcome change.