Some young Nigerians gathered at the Hall Two of the Landmark Events Centre, Oniru, Victoria Island, last week, to match their talents and compete at the first Vbank Kon10dr E-Sport Championship.
The event marked another milestone for the micro-finance bank, as they continue to lend their support to sporting categories that have not only captured the imagination of the younger generation, but are also fast becoming the rave worldwide.
Just last year, the bank supported the Snooker and Billiards family as they hosted both table sports at the prestigious Lagos Country Club at Ikeja.
The Kon10dr E-Sport Championship brought together another family; those who match their gaming skills with opponents both locally and internationally. And that international angle is what makes the involvement of the bank with the game unique, as it opens an international door for the participants of the sport to enjoy.
The finals saw contestants competing in four categories: three were individual events while one was a team event. In the FIFA 22 category, the gamer named The_Arogs defeated gamer Faruk to emerge champion. In the Streetfighter category, Chux defeated Legendary Aensland to emerge Champion, while General Zod saw off Isimiyagi to become the best at Mortal Kombat. The only team event, Call of Duty was won by Team Incognito as they got the better of Zero Remorse in the war game.
The company’s involvement has created opportunity for gamers by giving them a gateway on the bank App, to pay for their PSN and Xbox Live.
Speaking on the app, Senior Product Manager, VBank, Ebere Ahaotu, said: “At VBank we have always been passionate about sports, and the development of our local talents.
“That’s why this partnership with Kon10dr to sponsor the Esports Championship affords us the opportunity to push Nigerian Esports to the global stage.
“We have also provided the opportunity to subscribe for these games on the Vbank app and will continue to ensure our local talents have more ways to express their creative talents at both the local and global stage.”
According to an Esports website, the estimated income for mid to upper tier level gamers at the professional level is between $50,000 and $75,000 per annum in salaries only, excluding winnings at tournaments (that is a little over N20m at the base, and a little over N31m at the top).
And the desire to see the creative Nigerian youth make the most of the opportunity is a part of what drove the creation of the window on the App, and led to the sponsorship of the event.
“Nigerians excel wherever they find themselves all over the world,” Ahaotu said, adding, “and because we are mindful of this, it was easy to reach a decision that would ensure that while they are here, they also have an opportunity to rub shoulders with their counterparts on a global level.”
SOURCE : gaurdian
