KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia achieves a new milestone in e-sports as it crowns its first ever Para Malaysia Esports League 2021 (Para MEL21) winners.
Sangpill and AVEX ESPORT MY emerged as champions from the solo and squad categories respectively in the Player Unknown's Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBGM) Para MEL21 held on October 18 to 24, 2021. The winners of the tournament took home cash prizes accumulated to RM10,000. As part of Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS)'s Strategic Plan for Esports Development 2020-2025 to promote inclusivity within the local Esports ecosystem, Para MEL21 ran from Sept 22 to Oct 24, 2021.
The Para MEL21 PUBGM tournament concluded on Oct 24 after six adrenaline-filled matches for the Solo and Squad categories individually. Finally, after an intense battle at the Grand Finals, Sangpill bagged the championship title for the solo category with 204 points and 2 kills among 64 other players. During the qualifying round, he consistently delivered impressive game play and momentum, standing out as the top contender throughout the competition. Sangpill won a cash prize of RM700, while 1st runner up SULTANxnipsS and 2nd runner up・XPitttOP・claimed their prizes of RM500 and RM300 respectively.
"I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered that Malaysia was launching its very own Para Malaysia Esports League 2021 as there aren't many opportunities for people with disabilities (PWD) gamers like myself to compete in tournaments like this. I really enjoyed myself during the entire tournament and I am looking forward to the next one, which I will definitely participate again!" said Sangpill, the champion of the PUBGM solo category.
During the squad category Grand Finals, 16 teams battled it out neck to neck, with team AVEX ESPORT MY, consisting of team members AVEXMark, AVEXMad, AVEXOliver and AVEXBuuOP, were crowned as the ultimate squad champion. AVEXMad lead his team to victory with his impressive skills throughout the tournament, contributing 11 kills out of the total 32 kills. Achieving a whopping total of 77 points, AVEX ESPORT MY won the cash prize of RM3,000. The 1st and 2nd runner-up teams were ARMY with 47 points and TOKYO REVENGERS V with 32 points, winning RM2,000 and RM1,000 respectively.
"It is an honour to be named Malaysia's first ever Para MEL21 champions. The tournament was very exciting as my team had several close calls, especially during the Grand Finals but I am so glad that our hours of practice paid off! This win motivates AVEX ESPORT MY to further sharpen our skills as a team and we hope to participate in more tournaments, including international ones," said team ace AVEXMad of AVEX ESPORT MY.
The month-long Para MEL21 was organised by Esports Integrated (ESI) and Techninier Sdn Bhd (Techninier) to accentuate "Esports for all", an initiative to catalyse a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive esports ecosystem under
KBS in collaboration with the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) and is supported by Malaysia Disability Youth Council (MBOKU). This tournament has just achieved a remarkable milestone on Esukan.gg, as the first ever Para Malaysia Esports League.
"We are very pleased with the success of Para MEL21 and we plan to continue hosting it annually to further provide PWD gamers with the support they need. Simultaneously, we are working towards increasing awareness among the public on the importance of inclusivity in Esports. We hope that one day PWD gamers will be able to compete as equals alongside their able-bodied counterparts and Para MEL21 is a crucial first step to materialise this aspiration," said ESI's chief executive officer, Ahmed Faris Amir.
The Grand Finals of Para MEL21 was broadcasted live on several Facebook pages including KBS, ESI, Esukan.gg, MBM, MBOKU and Techninier.
"Through Para MEL21, Malaysia has kickstarted its road to inclusivity in Esports. As the government and relevant e-sports parties continue working together to drive this initiative and develop e-sports in the country, more opportunities will come for PWD to compete professionally and casually. We hope that PWD gamers will continue to play the games they love while sharpening their skills as there will be many more chances to show off in the near future," said MBM's president, Jufitri Joha.
"Congratulations to all the winners of the Para MEL21. We are extremely proud of everyone who participated in the tournament, especially the PWD gamers. Para MEL21 is an essential step we have taken to kickstart our journey towards inclusivity in Esports. This tournament has certainly boosted the confidence of PWD gamers and has given them the motivation to improve themselves, especially those who dream of breaking out in the professional scene. We will continue working with the relevant parties in the Esports industry to empower PWD gamers and enable them to achieve their goals," said MBOKU's president, Faiz Shuhaimi.
Para MEL21 was hosted through Esukan.gg, the National Esports Platform jointly developed by Impact Integrated and Techninier, launched to empower Esports players and gaming communities to compete at scale, while enabling tournament organisers and Esports players to organise professional leagues and grassroots tournaments.
"The Para MEL21 was a great success and we have seen a growth of registered users on the Esukan.gg platform, and at the same time, achieving our goal of increased public awareness on PWD players in the Esports community. This is a huge milestone in Malaysia's Esports industry as we take our first step towards achieving inclusivity. Techninier remains committed to support the government's aspirations in developing the Esports scene and eventually establish Malaysia as an Esports Hub in the Southeast Asian region," said Techninier's CEO, Datuk Lion Peh.
Got to: https://www.facebook.com/esukan.gg.