Sri Lankan Esports athlete Shihab Rizan represented Sri Lanka at the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championship, held as a medal sport alongside the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, England.
The championship featured several tournament titles including Dota 2, eFootball and Rocket League whilst Shihab competed in the eFootball category.
Shihab is a 28 year-old Sales and Marketing Manager who has participated in many Esports events to represent Sri Lanka such as the International Esports Federation (IESF) Esports World Championship 2021, Global Esports Games (GEG) 2021 and also the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) e-Masters Chengdu 2021.
Recognised in 2019 as the 70th official sport in Sri Lanka by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Esports continues to be amplified with an exponential number of players entering what is widely regarded as the country’s ‘fastest-growing sport’.
“Esports has been growing rapidly over the last few years in Sri Lanka with many young gamers stepping up to take part in tournaments and qualify to represent the country at international Esports tournaments. The talent and skill of these young players has been refreshing to witness and we are excited to see the sport develop over the next few years.” said Raveen Wijayatilake, the President of the Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA).
SLESA is recognised by the Sports Ministry as the governing body for Esports in Sri Lanka. SLESA conducts national qualifiers to choose the best gamers to represent the nation and has a national Esports team for titles such as PES eFootball, DOTA 2, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends, and Arena of Valor.
Dialog Axiata PLC is the official Sponsor of the Esports team in Sri Lanka and also is currently sponsoring the DIALOG-SLESA All-Island Free Fire Championship. Esports is known as the fastest-growing sport in the country and an officially recognised sport in Sri Lanka by the Ministry of Sports. Esports athletes from Sri Lanka have represented their country at an international level and are looking to bring home a medal when they compete in Esports at the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China.
Dialog Axiata is proud to sponsor Sri Lanka’s National Cricket, Volleyball and Netball teams. The Company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Schools Rugby League and Knockout Trophies, Premier Football, Junior Volleyball and Paralympic sports – whilst also powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the Olympic and World Paralympic Games.
Gamer.LK, Sri Lanka’s premier Esports company is the Strategic Partner for the National Esports Team. At the forefront of Sri Lanka’s Esports industry, Gamer.LK’s consistent efforts in organising Esports tournaments and activities have caused a rapid growth in Sri Lankan Esports over the last decade.