India’s top esports athletes have booked their places on the world stage, with the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) on 8 August 2026 announcing the final Indian contingents for the Brics Esports Championship 2026 in Moscow and the Global Esports Games 2026 (GEG26) in Los Angeles.
The selections follow the conclusion of the National Esports Championships (NESC) 2026 on 5 August 2026, which served as the country’s official qualifying tournament, bringing together its top esports athletes to earn the right to represent India at the two multi-title events.
The Brics Esports Championship 2026 will be held from 9 to 15 September in Moscow at the VK play Arena, organised by the Russian Esports Federation. India will field a two-member Tekken 8 contingent: national champion Arsalan Wani, who secured his berth after winning the NESC Brics qualifier, and Gurashish Singh, who was the winner of NESC 2026 (Asian Games). Shubham finished as first runner-up in the qualifier, while Ashish took the second runner-up spot.
India has also finalised its roster for the Global Esports Games 2026, organised by the Global Esports Federation (GEF), where Team India will compete across multiple titles spanning PC, console and mobile platforms.
Esports Federation of India honorary general secretary and Asian Esports Federation vice-president Lokesh Suji said, “The Brics Esports Championship and the Global Esports Games are invaluable opportunities for our athletes as we build towards the Asian Games. Competing against some of the world’s best players reflects the growing depth of India’s esports talent while giving our athletes the exposure needed to sharpen their skills, perform under pressure and raise their competitive standards. These experiences will play a vital role in preparing team India for future international competitions, including the upcoming Asian Games.”
At the Global Esports Games, India will compete in Counter-Strike 2, where Diamond Dogs secured the national berth after defeating Friedup Gaming in the grand final. The squad comprises Ritesh Sarda (captain), Hrishikesh Shenoy, Gourav Panwar, Garvit Nehra and Yash Kumar Singh.
In Clash Royale (open), Devershi Kumar Kulhara emerged champion, followed by Heer Chawda and Mohamed Rizal S, while Shagun Srivastava won the Women’s category ahead of Nikita S.
India’s NBA 2K contingent will feature Shubham Sharma (captain), Ashutosh Kumar and Sumer Singh Sandhu, while the Rocket League team comprises Abhai Ponna (captain), Jayanth Engineer and Aditeya Amol Srivastav. In iRacing featuring Ferrari, Yashwanth Babu topped the standings, followed by Aditya Iyer and Ankit Raj. For eFootball, Chinmay Sahoo has been awarded the open category slot being the winner of the NESC 2026 (Asian Games).
Reiterating its commitment to regulatory compliance, ESFI confirmed that India will not field a contingent in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) in adherence to directives issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
