Madhya Pradesh set to launch India's first Esports Academy with 80% reservation for MP players

Madhya Pradesh, a state that has recently emerged as India's sports hub, will introduce the nation's first Esports Academy under its sports department in a ground-breaking step. This programme aims to revolutionise the Indian online gaming market by giving young esports players the chance and platform to go to a professional level.

The state intends to run a talent-finding initiative with esports players between the ages of 12 and 17. The athletics department will host a 10-day event where kids may compete and show off their gaming prowess. The MP state junior esports championship will coincide with this talent discovery programme. It is being named the MP Open Online Gaming Championship. The registrations will be available until July 23 and the event takes place on July 27.

‘A significant step towards long-term benefits for gamers’ - Yashodhara Raje Scindia

“Esports has been included as one of the medal events in the upcoming Asian Games. The launch of the esports academy is a significant step towards long-term benefits for gamers. Selected players will receive free coaching and other support at the academy for one year. In total, 80% of the seats will be reserved for players from the state, while 20% will be allocated to players from outside Madhya Pradesh,” said Yashodhara Raje Scindia, the Sports Minister of the country.

“The department envisioned world-class sports academies and established them in 2007 to identify grassroots sporting talent and provide state-of-the-art training facilities. The esports academy will be another significant addition,” she added.

Notably, Esports has officially been designated as one of the medal events for the 20^th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The announcement was made by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) on Thursday, July 13. It is among the nine newly added sports for the upcoming edition of the games. Esports will make its debut in the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, and India will be competing in four different titles – DOTA 2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends. The Asian Games 2023 are scheduled to take place between September 23 and October 8.