Top-G and Purr-ple set to lock horns at National Esports Championships 2023

The National Esports Championships (NESC) 2023 will have India’s two leading teams, Top-G and Purr-ple, creating history as they become the first all-female CS:GO teams from the country to compete for a place at the global finals of the World Esports Championships (WEC) when they go head-to-head against each other on March 18, 2023.

The ongoing NESC 2023, organised by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI), will be selecting the Indian contingent for the upcoming 15th WEC in Ia?i, Romania, and is witnessing the participation of 275 athletes across four different titles: CS:GO, Dota 2, Tekken7 and eFootball 2023.

Also read: Top 10 eSports organisations in the world

Top-G are led by team captain Swayambika Sachar (Sway) and comprises Nidhi Salekar (Stormyyy), Priyanka Choudhary (ALEXAA), Dilraj Kaur Matharu (COCO) and well-renowned gamer Shagufta Iqbal (xyaa). Their high-quality gameplay, tactics and attacking proficiency have made them an all-round efficient unit performing at the highest level.

Top-G’s opponents Purr-ple consist of skipper Mansi Rajesh Sottany (MatkA QueeN), Uzma Zaki (Meowkasa), Mrinal Baranwal (Jollies10), Pragnya Spruha (P1Xie), Avantika Pal (Avantiee) and Manpreet Kaur (MkS). They’re known for their smart strategies, dazzling performances and supreme technical skills.

The winner of this high-intensity clash will be competing against another female CS:GO team from a different country in order to confirm their place at WEC 2023.

Top-G Team Captain Swayambika Sway Sachar, stated:

“I am really grateful that ESFI has given us this wonderful opportunity to compete on such a notable platform and I hope that our team can make the most of it. Our team has spent countless hours of practising and strategizing for this matchup and we will portray that through our performance by putting up a tough fight. We not only want to create history by becoming the first female CS:GO team from India to participate at the World Esports Championships but also inspire other women to pursue their passion in gaming by making it a serious career option. I am confident that the team will give it their all to prevail in tomorrow’s contest.“

Purr-ple’s Team Captain, Mansi MatkA QueeN Sottany, said:

“We are thrilled to participate in the national qualifiers to compete in a title that we have been playing for so many years. India’s esport industry is witnessing a paradigm shift with the rise of female gamers and I am proud of belonging to the community that is significantly contributing to the growth of the sector. My teammates are well prepared for the match tomorrow and I have full faith in them to utilise their expertise to lead the team to glory. I would like to thank ESFI for presenting us with this platform to showcase our talent in front of the country.“

Manpreet MkS Kaur, Purr-ple team member, added:

“I am honoured to be a part of Team India in this championship. The opportunity of potentially representing my country on a global platform is a dream come true and I am ready to give my all to bring home the victory. With women empowerment being on the rise in Indian Esports, these qualifiers are a chance to inspire every aspiring female gamer in the country.“

The 15th World Esports Championship 2023 will have a prize pool of US$500,000 and is set to be the largest edition of the tournament to date, with at least 130 countries participating in it. The global finals of the tournament will take place from August 24 – September 4, 2023.

The match will be played in a best-of-three format and will begin at 8 pm and streamed live on the ESFI’s YouTube, Facebook and Glance Gaming channels.