Kenyan E-sports player Bilal Mohamed has asked more corporates and the government to come on board and sponsor their events to help[ the game to grow country-wide.
This comes days after clinching the gamrX African Championship played in Lagos, Nigeria a week ago.
The 25-year-old beat Chukwudi Okoli from Nigeria 3-2 in a pulsating Street Fighter 6 final played at the Landmark Convention Centre.
Bilal, who marked his international debut in style, thanked the E-sports Kenya Federation for the opportunity and called for more support for Kenyan players to ensure they fly the national flag in international tournaments.
“I thank Allah for this victory. This was my first tournament abroad and I am grateful to the E-sports Kenya Federation for providing me with this opportunity to grace the international stage. It feels amazing to conquer Africa and I hope this victory will open up more doors for top Kenyan gamers to compete internationally,” said Bilal.
This was a big improvement after Kenyan top seed Eric “Demon” Ngige finished second in last year’s championship which was also held in Lagos after a 2-1 loss to Dexx Jr from Senegal in the final.
Another Kenyan representative Leone Mwaura was dumped out in the last 16 of the FC24 game after falling 2-1 to Sahil Sal from Tanzania.
Meanwhile, Nigerian finalist Chukwudi conceded defeat, saying Bilal was a worthy and better opponent.
“Bilal capitalised on his speed and accuracy to narrowly win the final that would have swung either way,” added Chukwudi.
E-sports Kenya President Ronny Lusigi congratulated Bilal while promising to sponsor more Kenyan players including women to international competitions.
“Kudos to Bilal! You have made Kenya proud and we are happy with his performance. This is a testament to the progress we are making locally. We have more in store this year and we urge our players to keep working hard,” said Lusigi
The event attracted participants from 12 African countries including Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Cameroon, Angola and hosts Nigeria.
