IUB hosts prize giving ceremony of Gaming Fest 2022

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) hosted the prize giving ceremony of "IUB Gaming Fest 2022" on November 30. The event was organized by IUB Esports Club and supported by the Department of CSE, with Bangladesh Youth Development & Electronic Sports Association (BYDESA) as the associate partner.

More than 650 gamers from all around the country had joined the event to play games such as Valorant, League of Legends (LoL), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) and FIFA 23. All the FIFA 23 matches were played physically at the IUB campus, marking one of the biggest LAN events in this segment in recent times.

Some of the biggest esports teams of Bangladesh such as Exceeli Esports, Red Viperz, MercenarieZ, VENOM Esports, and Deimos Force participated in the widely anticipated tournament, where the total prize pool was BDT 1,60,000. Morshed Zaman from MercenarieZ became the champion in the FIFA 23 segment, Exceeli Esports became the champion in the Valorant, Deimos Force became the champion in the LoL, and Quincy Crews became the champion in the MLBB (male segment).

To promote girls' participation in gaming, a separate segment was offered in the MLBB section for the female gamers where MLT ODTH became the Champion. "IUB Gaming Fest was an enormous initiative from IUB Esports Club to have a separate division for the female players. Being a woman, I believe that we have the potential to reach the pinnacle of esports. At this rate of tournament consistency, we are certain that our next generation will have a promising esports future." said Kazi Fabiha Leah, who is a student of IUB and the team leader of MLT ODTH.

At the launch of the event, Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan, PhD said, "Many researches now suggest esports might improve problem solving skills, leadership skills and some other soft skills which are crucial now a days for everyone. IUB has always given the students opportunities to shine, not only academically but also in all sorts of extracurricular activities and this type of event is a perfect epitome of it."

To further encourage the gamers, Founder Secretary General of Bangladesh Archery Federation and Chairman of Mousumi Industries Limited Mr. Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol said, "Huge movement related to esports is happening in the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Moreover, the global esports industry is growing exponentially and it is projected to reach more than 5 billion dollars by 2029. This is not the time for our society or our parents to stop our children from participating in esports. We all need to start dreaming bigger."

"IUB Gaming Fest 2022" was supported by Kiyans Kollectibles, BrandFix, Make My Event, NADE Digital, Dekchi, GTV, and SHOUT, The Daily Star as sponsors and partners.