New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): Poised to make their mark in one of the most prestigious multi-sport tournaments in the world, India’s FIFA Online 4 stars Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh have departed for Hangzhou to compete in EA Sports FC Online at the upcoming Asian Games.

Having been featured as a demonstration event in 2018, Esports will be making its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the Asian Games 2022.

Both athletes left their mark during the recently held seeding event for the Asian Games 2022, with Charanjot Singh securing the top seed in the South Asian region, while Karman Singh secured the fifth seed.

The two athletes, who are renowned names in the global FIFA community, earned their places at the Asian Games 2022 by advancing to the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC), organized by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI).

Expressing his feeling as the tournament approaches, Charanjot Singh said: "As the tournament draws nearer, it feels surreal that the dream of representing India at the Asian Games 2022 is finally becoming a reality. Both Karman and I have been training relentlessly to showcase our skills on this platform against the continent’s finest players. We are determined to make our country proud and bring home a historic medal."

"The Asian Games 2022 is a massive opportunity for Indian Esports to announce itself as a powerhouse on the global stage. I feel honored to be one of the first athletes carrying the nation’s flag at Esports' maiden appearance as a medal sport at the tournament. We are ready to take on the tough competition and give our best to achieve success," commented Karman Singh.

The Esports event will be held in China Hangzhou Esports Centre from September 24 to October 2, and the athletes will compete for gold medals in seven different titles.

India, however, will be participating in four of the seven titles: DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.

The official draw to determine the dates and opponents regarding the fixtures for all four titles will take place on September 22.

The fixtures for EA Sports FC Online will be in the knockout format with the Grand Finals scheduled to be held on September 27. A total of 34 athletes from 21 countries will battle it out for glory at the competition.