\n
\n\tRIYADH: The Saudi Esports Federation hosted the fifth SEF Awards, featuring 19 eSport categories, at the SEF Arena at Boulevard Riyadh City on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\n\tIt was \u201ca celebration of excellence, achievement and vision,\u201d Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the organization\u2019s chairman, said at the gala event.<\/p>\n
\n\tFaisal bin Homran, chief product officer at the Esports World Cup, reflected on the Kingdom\u2019s endeavors in the gaming sector.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHonestly, in the past few years, the progress of the industry is changing dramatically, especially with the Kingdom doing solid moves toward it, especially with changing the sector when it comes to projects like the Esports World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI think Saudi is now shaping the industry toward something sustainable for the industry overall and for any lover of eSports, specific games, audience, players (and) clubs.<\/p>\n
\n\tBin Homran told Arab News that he believed eSports would lead the field globally.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPersonally, (I think) it will be the number one sports in the world,\u201d he said. \u201cOverall, I think the future is amazing. There\u2019s a lot of projects coming in. I\u2019m really happy. I\u2019m a passionate gamer myself and I\u2019m living the dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tSaudi player Raef Alturkistani won the award for \u201cbest fighting game player,\u201d taking the prize for the second consecutive year, and retaining the world title for a third year for his performance at the Tekken World Tour Finals.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI am grateful for this,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to do my best next time so I can win it (best fighting game player) for the third time, hopefully \u2026 This year was the hardest year for me because I had so many competitors with me, in the same game and different games. But I achieved it … going third in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tTeam Falcons of Saudi Arabia, also known as the first Esports World Cup club champions, took home the title for \u201cbest club.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMusaad Al-Dossary, CEO of Falcons, said that the future of eSports in the Kingdom was promising.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s rewarding, what we have achieved, the nights that we have been working, and sometimes it\u2019s a hectic night, so nights like this (are for) rewards of what we have accomplished \u2026 We have been honored to have, the Esports World Cup here, thankfully we have won it and obviously looking to do more. I\u2019m sure that everyone here in Saudi wants to do more and more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tRawan Al-Butairi, chief partnerships and corporate affairs at the Saudi Esports Federation, highlighted the success of the Kingdom\u2019s national gaming strategy.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cSaudi Arabia has a national gaming strategy, eSports strategy, and other potential and impact … It is Bollywood and Hollywood combined. So it is absolutely large in size and grasping such opportunity to amplify the impact through the players, through the content creators and through the community by creating an event like this will help us grow it substantially in the Kingdom to inspire the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAdel Almeqeren, executive director of marketing and branding at the Saudi Esports Federation, said that this year it would establish a women\u2019s eLeague.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cA lot of players, have both male and female play in the Saudi eLeague, but the challenge is that sometimes they can\u2019t compete with each other. So by us doing that and segregating, in a good way, the women\u2019s league, it gives them more light and it gives them more awareness to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAward categories included best rising player; best rising talent; best female player, presented by Hilton; best club, presented by Richy; best content creator, presented by SAIB; and best roster, presented by Golden Scent.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe winners of the 19 categories in this year\u2019s SEF Awards are:<\/p>\n
\n\t1. Best female talent: Ghala Al-Qahtani<\/p>\n
\n\t2. Best host: Wajeh Fahad<\/p>\n
\n\t3. Best rising player: Abdulaziz Altamimi<\/p>\n
\n\t4. Best rising club: Al-Qadsiah<\/p>\n
\n\t5. Best eSports media coverage: Sama News<\/p>\n
\n\t6. Best female player: Mohdi Alkanhal<\/p>\n
\n\t7. Best roster: Team Falcons \u2014 Rocket League<\/p>\n
\n\t8. Best coach: Abdulrahman bin Fayez<\/p>\n
\n\t9. Best rising talent: Saleh Alrakaf<\/p>\n
\n\t10. Best FPS games player: Ibrahim Alali<\/p>\n
\n\t11. Best fighting game player: Raef Alturkistani<\/p>\n
\n\t12. Best battle royale player: Khalid Alomar<\/p>\n
\n\t13. Best MOBA game player: Orifan Alsulaimany<\/p>\n
\n\t14. Best sports player: Mohammed Alotaibi<\/p>\n
\n\t15. Best club: Team Falcons<\/p>\n
\n\t16. Best caster: Abdulaziz Almehmadi<\/p>\n
\n\t17. Best analyst: Fahad Ghzwani<\/p>\n
\n\t18. Best content creator: Saleh Alzahrani<\/p>\n
\n\t19. Best streamer: Mufrih Assiri<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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