National Sports Day: Why it’s time to see esports as a key pillar of India’s new-age sporting identity

On August 21, Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, a landmark reform that bans all online money games, whether based on chance, skill, or a combination of both, while promoting esports and safe digital recreation. For the first time, esports has been officially separated from gambling, betting, and fantasy money games and recognised as a legitimate competitive sport. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will set guidelines and standards for tournaments, support training academies and research centres, and integrate esports into broader sporting policies.

The timing could not be better. India recently celebrated its first esports World Champion when Ved Bamb, known as Beelzeboy, defeated Spain’s Leo Marin in the grand final of the Pokémon GO World Championships. Officially recognised as a multi-sport event by the Indian government in 2022, esports is now firmly established as a sporting discipline in major international multi-sport competitions. It made its medal debut at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India competed in four titles, and the country also secured a historic bronze medal in DOTA 2 at the 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships.

Esports will return as a medal event at the Asian Games next year and will also feature at the upcoming 3rd Asian Youth Games in October. Adding to the momentum, the Esports World Cup Foundation recently announced the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), where top players will compete not only for professional glory with their clubs but also to represent their countries in both team-based and solo formats.

At home, esports has reached the grassroots level. This year’s Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar included esports as a demonstration sport. Bihar has been a pioneer with state-level championships across schools and colleges, while Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland have also backed esports through their sports ministries. Nationally, the WAVES Esports Championships launched with support from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, further embedded esports into India’s sporting culture.

With all these developments, esports now has formal government recognition and stands on par with traditional sports. Like cricket or football, it demands skill, strategy, and discipline, with structured competitions, coaching, and performance analysis.

Similar to mainstream sports, esports tournaments in India have grown in scale and professionalism. NODWIN Gaming, South Asia’s leading gaming and esports company, has been at the forefront of this growth. Its flagship IP, the Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series (BGMS), India’s most-watched esports tournament, recently returned for its fourth season with a INR 1.5 crore prize pool and will feature female athletes for the first time, setting a new benchmark for inclusivity. These tournaments provide a high-pressure, structured environment for players, reaffirming esports’ status as a legitimate competitive pursuit.

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming, says, “For us, the recently passed Online Gaming Bill 2025 unlocks opportunities like state and district-level championships, scholarships, and career paths similar to traditional sports. NODWIN Gaming is ready with a Zero-to-Hero roadmap – starting from grassroots tournaments to global stages like EVO, GEF, Esports Nations Cup, EWC, and the Counter-Strike Major. India already has one of the world’s youngest gaming audiences and a fast-growing talent pipeline. This clarity gives the ecosystem the boost it needs to reach global scale and recognition.”

Just like traditional athletes, esports players follow rigorous training routines. Professional gamers practise for hours daily in bootcamps under coaches, analysts, and structured regimens, combining physical and mental preparation. S8UL, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, exemplifies this approach. Their athletes competed at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh this year, where the overall prize pool exceeded INR 600 crore. S8UL also maintains a dedicated bootcamp in Navi Mumbai for both content creators and competitive athletes, reflecting the same discipline and preparation seen in established sports.

“For years, being clubbed with real money gaming meant regulatory risks and made investors overly cautious about esports. The government’s decision firmly establishes that the video games we play competitively are the only ones recognised in India as a sport. It opens the door for greater societal and parental acceptance, encouraging new talent to enter esports as well as gaming content creation. At S8UL, we look forward to working closely with the government and contributing to this process at every step,” comments Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of S8UL Esports.

Success in esports depends on multiple factors, with proper infrastructure being critical. While India is predominantly a mobile esports nation due to affordable smartphones and data, PC and console titles will feature at the 2026 Asian Games and potentially the Olympic Esports Games in 2027. High-performance equipment is essential at the competitive level, and companies like CyberPowerPC India are playing a key role in raising awareness and improving accessibility. They have provided PCs worth lakhs at events to support aspiring PC gamers, helping bridge the infrastructure gap and prepare players for international competitions.

Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer of CyberPowerPC India, added, “If cricket, football, or tennis needs courts and grounds to practice and excel, esports also requires high-quality infrastructure and training equipment. With the Bill creating a safe, regulated space for esports to thrive, we at CyberPowerPC India are committed to making world-class technology accessible to Indian players. Whether it is grassroots tournaments, college esports, or professional leagues, we believe the right infrastructure will define India’s journey to becoming globally competitive.”

As India celebrates National Sports Day, esports has emerged as a legitimate sport capable of producing the nation’s next sporting heroes, reflecting the dedication, discipline, and competitive spirit of the nation’s youth.