Maharashtra Government Honors Esports Players

The government of the Indian state Maharashtra has awarded Dota 2 and League of Legends esports athletes who participated in the Asian Games 2022, with INR 10 lakhs each (nearly $12K USD). This marks the very first time that an Indian state government has awarded esports athletes a financial bonus alongside mainstream Olympic athletes for a major international tournament.

The cash award was announced recently by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services of the Government of Maharashtra, singling out esports athletes who represented India during the Asian Games 2022 that was hosted in Hangzhou, China.  The recipients of this reward included Dota 2 team captain Darshan Bata and his teammates Krish Gupta, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli. League of Legends player Samarth Trivedi was also honored with a cash reward.

Darshan Bata, a Mumbai resident, said the following: 

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to ESFI and the Maharashtra government for honoring us and recognizing and supporting Esports.”

Dota 2 player Ketan Goyal, a resident of Pune, added:

“It has been a great experience at Asian Games, I am grateful for the support I received from the Maharashtra government and I really appreciate the efforts ESFI has contributed to our journey.” 

Dota 2 player Krish Gupta, also from Pune, noted:

“Really happy to see that Esports is getting recognized and we are being aided by the government. Thank you for the support to Maharashtra Government and a big shoutout to ESFI for giving us this opportunity to represent India in the Asian Games.” 

League of Legends player Samarth Trivedi, a resident of Thane, said:

“I am really grateful to the Maharashtra government for providing us with the financial support. It is amazing to see Esports being recognized by the Government. A huge shoutout to ESFI for giving us the opportunity and platform to compete at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou.” 

Finally, Dota 2 player Shubham Goli, a resident of Pune who represented India at the Commonwealth Esports Championships and Asian Games 2022, said:

“Thank you ESFI and team for all your support throughout Asian games 2022. We are really blessed and honored by [the] Maharashtra Government for supporting Esports players and considering Esports in events like [the] Commonwealth and Asian Games.” 

Players for esports teams were selected through a process facilitated by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), a member of the International Esports Federation (IESF). Games played during the competition included Dota 2, League of Legends, Arena of Valor, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, PUBG Mobile, Street Fighter V, and TEKKEN.

India’s national Dota 2 team took home 12th place during the competition, while its League of Legends team made it to the quarterfinals, eventually routed by Vietnam, 2-0. 

The 2022 Asian Games, also known as the 19th Asian Games, or Hangzhou 2022, was an international multi-sport event held in Hangzhou, China, from Sept. 23 – Oct. 8, 2023, and an official Olympic event. The event was postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but retained its “2022” moniker. India took home 28 gold medals, 38 silver medals, and 41 bronze medals, or 107 total medals during the games.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a dim view of esports that involve violent content, Asian Games organizer the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has been keen to include games like Dota 2 as medaled disciplines over the years. While the IOC wants plans to create separate games for esports, it has not wavered in its thinking on violent games, which means it would continue to exclude some of the most popular titles on the planet including Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Fortnite, League of Legends, Dota 2, TEKKEN, Street Fighter, or any other game that includes some sort of animated violence.