As Indian football continues to move forward together, a new milestone is set to be achieved as India is set to join the FIFAe Nations Series 2021, which is FIFA's flagship tournament for Member Associations and is contested by eNational Teams using the EA Sports FIFA 21 game.
An Indian team will be part of the global tournament for the very first time, with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) building an eNational Squad, constituting the country's top FIFA gamers, who will represent the country at the FIFAe Nations Series 2021 (FeNS21).
To facilitate the selection process, the AIFF will host a national tournament 'AIFF eFootball Challenge' from March 20 to April 4 wherein the top 16 eligible PlayStation gamers of the country will contest to decide the winner.
The FIFAe Global Series Rankings (West Asia Region) as of February 25, 2021, 12:00 am IST shall be used to determine the qualification and seeding. The two finalists will represent India in the next stage of the global competition. The dates for the registration of the tournament are from March 1-10, 2021.
The FeNS21 will feature a multi-phase structure including online qualifier stages which will eventually culminate in the FIFAe Nations Cup -- the final event. India will participate from the Middle East and Africa server region.
AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das termed it as a "brilliant initiative", saying "it will help grow the sport's popularity and boost fan engagement in the country."
"Gaming has always been a great engagement tool for football fans across the world. Owing to the current pandemic situation the interest in eSports has increased mfold globally. Be it on the field or on a virtual platform, football generates passion and excitement among fans," Das said in a statement.
"As a modern and progressive orgsation, the AIFF is committed to engaging with stakeholders and fans and increasing the popularity and interest in football across the nation. AIFF aims to grow the competition with participation from across the country in the coming years," the General Secretary added.
"The opportunity to nominate eAthletes from India for the event is a unique opportunity to engage with the gaming community in the country and open a new avenue for fans to connect with the 'Beautiful Game.' At the same time, it will help promote the concept of eSports as a career and provide global exposure to Indian eAthletes," he averred.
( With inputs from ANI )
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