FIRST DAY OF ESPORTS FILLED WITH TENSION AND EXCITEMENT
The inaugural Pan American Esports Championship has begun where athletes simultaneously battled it out on eFootball and Dota 2.
The first day of the Championship was filled with excitement from the audience and intense competition between players in the men’s and women’s group stages of Dota 2 and eFootball. In spite of the matches happening concurrently, the athletes feel energized by the opportunity and comfortably anticipate exhilarating days ahead in the world of esports.
Group stage Dota 2 matchups included Peru vs. Venezuela, Argentina vs. Cuba, Colombia vs. Costa Rica and Ecuador vs. Chile. Group stages for eFootball featured 24 countries, with the exception of Chile who have already advanced to the quarterfinals. The finals are scheduled for November 3rd and 4th and will be broadcasted live on Panam Sports Channel.
eFootball matches follow a one-on-one format, with each player accompanied by their coach. The matches were divided into groups from A to F, with each country securing their quarterfinals berth by winning two out of three matches.
“The tournament atmosphere is quite wonderful. Everything with the screens, the lights, the stage, the TVs behind broadcasting the matches create a wonderful environment. As for the match itself, it was very complicated. I drew two matches and won twice on penalties”, commented Lautaro Rais, eFootball athlete from the Argentine delegation.
In contrast, Dota 2 featured 5 vs. 5 matches, also best out of three with a 10-minute break in between. The atmosphere was noticeably more lively than in the previous game, with a higher number of supporters cheering on the local athletes.
“I was quite comfortable because when you usually go somewhere else to play, you bring your own gear. Here they provide all the peripherals and they’re quite comfortable. I’ve adapted well, but I don’t know if everyone else has. At least my teammates have told me that all is well”, shared Leonardo Sáenz from Colombia.
The women’s matches for both games took place in the afternoon on the same day. In eFootball, 8 countries are participating: Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador. Meanwhile in “Dota 2”, 6 countries are competing: Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, and Colombia.
“I’m happy that women were included in an important event like the Pan American Esports Championship. I’m feeling optimistic about the future and my performance in this competition, so I’m very happy”, remarked Paraguayan athlete Veronica Chavez.
Written by Fernanda Fredes