Roundglass Hockey Academy players celebrate after winning the Sikh Union Club Nairobi Centenary Celebrations Tournament. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

ESPORTS

Esports Foundation, JioBLAST announce strategic partnership to launch ‘India Rising: Road to EWC’ Festival

The Esports Foundation (EF) and JioBLAST on Monday announced a strategic partnership to launch ‘India Rising: Road to EWC (Esports World Cup 2026),' a national competition pathway and festival to be hosted in India ahead of the world’s largest esports and gaming event.

The future vision of the partnership beyond 2026 will be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop the ecosystem.

India Rising will feature nationwide open qualifiers for chess, culminating in a grand finale held on LAN at the fan festival, with the winner advancing to the EWC 2026 main event to be held in Riyadh from August 11-15. The 2026 edition introduces chess as its inaugural competitive title, building on India’s global strength in the game.

All titled Indian players will be invited to the closed qualifier section of India Rising, with more than 10,000 grassroots players across the country expected to sign up for open registration.

The festival will be held in Mumbai, where attendees can experience the India Rising Chess finals alongside creator programming, entertainment, and interactive fan experiences. Additional exhibition matches in VALORANT and Moba Legends: 5v5! will form part of the programme, which will bring together competitive esports and live entertainment, featuring live music, cosplay, comedy, interactive gaming zones, and dedicated creator areas for fan engagement.

Chess returns to EWC this summer with a $1.5 million prize pool following its debut last year, where Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid) won the inaugural title. The competition expands to a 21-player field with a play-in stage.

-Team Sportstar

S8UL to represent India in INR 28+ crore prize pool tournament

S8UL, a global name in esports and gaming content, has officially qualified for the Honor of Kings World Cup (KWC) at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after a commanding run at the King’s Arise India Qualifier.

S8UL will now represent India at the global tournament, where 20 of the world’s top Honor of Kings teams will compete for a prize pool of USD 3 million (~INR 28.5 crore) from July 30 to August 8.

The lineup featuring Indian players Saad Sardar (Darkness), Hayrambh Monga (Meruem), Prabhat Mahato (Xtreme), Vishnu Khatri (XesoL), Rahul Lavhate (Kyurem), and Saurabh Jagadale (Kael), alongside Nepal’s Suyog Paudel (Doofy) and China’s Ang Xin Hao (Hong Kong), entered the playoffs after winning the Kings’ Arise City Tour—Mumbai.

The team began its playoff campaign with a 4-2 victory over Resurrection Imp. in the quarterfinals before defeating GodLike Esports 4-1 in the best-of-seven semifinals to secure qualification for KWC 2026, as the top two teams from the event advanced to the global tournament.

S8UL will now face Revenant XSpark in the grand finals on May 17 to determine the champion of the India qualifier.

-Team Sportstar

SQUASH

World Squash Championships: Chotrani loses to World No. 1 Asal

India’s Veer Chotrani went down to Egyptian World No. 1 and defending champion Mostafa Asal in the men’s second round of the World Squash Championships in Giza.

World No. 45 Chotrani lost 5-11, 2-11, 4-11, which ended the Indian challenge at the Worlds following first-round losses to compatriots Abhay Singh, Ramit Tandon, and Velavan Senthilkumar.

“Veer is one of the players that can catch you off at any moment in time, so I’m really happy to get the win today,” Asal told the PSA Tour website.

“Veer and I have played a lot together before, and I’m pleased to see him here, playing his best squash,” the Egyptian added.

“We’ve played a lot in juniors before; we played in the World Juniors as well. We always train in New York together.”

-Team Sportstar

HOCKEY

Roundglass Hockey Academy crowned champion at Sikh Union Club Nairobi Centenary Tournament

Roundglass Hockey Academy (RGHA) emerged victorious at the Sikh Union Club Nairobi Centenary Celebrations Hockey Tournament 2026, lifting the championship trophy after a spectacular campaign in Kenya’s capital.

The prestigious tournament, hosted to mark the 100-year anniversary of the historic Sikh Union Club, featured a highly competitive lineup of international clubs.

Despite facing an early setback in the group stage with a 1-4 defeat against the host club, Nairobi Sikh Union, the RGHA athletes demonstrated immense character. They quickly found their rhythm and embarked on an unstoppable winning streak, registering comprehensive victories in their remaining group matches. The team overpowered the London Sikh Union with a resounding 9-0 win, defeated Satellites 7-1, and outclassed the Niger Flickers 8-3 to storm into the knockout rounds.

Carrying its spectacular goal-scoring form into the semifinals, RGHA secured a commanding 7-2 victory in a rematch against Satellites to book a place in the championship match.

In the grand finale against the host, Nairobi Sikh Union, played at the Sikh Union Club, the academy squad delivered a masterful performance to secure a 4-1 victory.

-Team Sportstar

Published on May 11, 2026