India’s League of Legends crew returns to Asian Games with Hangzhou classes

At 24, Akshaj Shenoy is heading again to the Asian Games as captain of India’s League of Legends crew. But changing into an expert participant was by no means a part of the unique plan.He began enjoying for enjoyable. Then got here the tournaments, higher opponents and extra time spent understanding the aggressive facet of the sport. There was no single second when he determined esports would turn into a occupation.“It occurred progressively as I bought higher alternatives and began seeing how far I might take it,” Shenoy instructed Timesofindia.com.By the time India reached the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Shenoy was learning Economics, Sociology and Industrial Relations whereas enjoying professionally and coordinating observe with teammates based mostly in several cities.Three years on, he’s returning because the captain and 4 of the six gamers who will characterize India in League of Legends at Aichi-Nagoya have been a part of the Hangzhou marketing campaign, the place India completed fifth. Ahmed Shahid and Rahul Bisht are the 2 newcomers.“We look again at Hangzhou with numerous pleasure, but additionally understanding that we might have gone additional,” Shenoy stated. “Once you’ve got skilled that stage and seen that you would be able to compete with a number of the finest groups in Asia, you naturally really feel that there is extra you may obtain.”

A recreation that calls for 5 gamers to assume as one

League of Legends is a 5v5 team-based technique recreation during which gamers management distinctive characters, often known as champions, and work collectively to destroy the opposing crew’s Nexus, the central construction of their base. Each crew has 5 roles, specifically Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC and Support, with every serving a unique perform. Players have completely different roles and obligations, however on the skilled stage, communication and decision-making are as necessary as particular person ability.“You’re continually eager about the place the opponents could possibly be, what they may do subsequent and the way you need to reply,” Shenoy stated. “At the identical time, you are managing your personal assets, positioning, timing and making an attempt to make selections based mostly on what your teammates are doing.”The recreation was launched in 2009 and has grown into one of many globe’s main esports titles, with skilled competitions throughout areas and an annual World Championship.For India, nevertheless, the problem is much less about discovering individuals who play the sport and extra about creating sufficient high-level competitors for gamers to develop in opposition to. Shenoy has seen that distinction first-hand.

The group that stayed collectively

After Hangzhou, a number of the Indian gamers continued competing collectively in home and South Asian League of Legends tournaments. They performed extra tournaments, gained titles and spent extra time as a unit. That continuity additionally gave them a greater understanding of how every participant communicates and reacts in several conditions.S8UL signed the group in 2025, giving the gamers a extra structured atmosphere round coaching and competitors.For S8UL co-founder and CEO Animesh Agarwal, that continuity is likely one of the roster’s largest strengths. He stated the gamers had spent years “enjoying collectively, adapting to completely different aggressive environments and creating a powerful understanding of one another’s recreation”.The roster gained Legends Ascend South Asia in 2025 and later competed within the LCP Promotion Wild Card Playoffs, ending fifth.“Playing in opposition to stronger regional groups gave us invaluable expertise and confirmed us the place we nonetheless wanted to enhance,” Shenoy stated.

Six gamers, six completely different routes

Shenoy is the obvious hyperlink between the 2 Asian Games campaigns.The Kochi-based 24-year-old was a part of India’s Hangzhou crew and his esports profession has run alongside training and work. Before Hangzhou, he was learning three topics whereas enjoying professionally and coordinating observe classes for teammates based mostly in several cities. His dad and mom, he stated, have been supportive of his decisions.Today, he’s getting ready for an MBA and helps along with his father’s trade.Back house, a lot of his day goes into learning and dealing on the trade. Around 8 pm, he will get on-line along with his teammates, with observe usually persevering with till 1 am as a result of everybody has completely different research and jobs to work round.“I’ve at all times loved gaming and, extra importantly, the aggressive facet of esports, so it stays a giant a part of my life,” he stated.Mihir Ranjan is an IIM Ahmedabad graduate based mostly in Delhi. Aakash Shandilya is from Noida and works as a cloud engineering intern. Sanindhya Malik is predicated in Mauritius and works with Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.Ahmed Shahid, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Aligarh, and 29-year-old Rahul Bisht, a product designer and startup leader from Bengaluru, are making their Asian Games debuts.The six gamers arrive at Aichi-Nagoya with very completely different lives exterior the sport. For most of them, esports has needed to match round training, jobs and different obligations somewhat than exchange them.

What Hangzhou left behind

The first Asian Games look gave Shenoy a unique understanding of what it meant to play for India. “What I keep in mind most is strolling on the market and realising that we have been representing India on such an enormous stage,” Shenoy stated. “There was numerous pleasure, but additionally a way of accountability that got here with sporting the India jersey.”The expertise additionally confirmed the gamers what was required to compete in opposition to Asia’s strongest groups. “We’ve had a couple of years since then to develop collectively, compete at a better stage and perceive what it takes to carry out on a stage like this,” he stated.The 4 returning gamers know what the stage appears like. Ahmed has been across the group for a very long time regardless of making his Asian Games debut, whereas Rahul has tailored shortly in the course of the preparations, in accordance with Shenoy.“At the top of the day, we belief one another, and my job is to ensure everybody feels snug sufficient to play their very own recreation when the stress is at its highest.”

The hole India continues to be making an attempt to shut

Shenoy has additionally seen India’s esports atmosphere turn into extra organised since Hangzhou, with extra tournaments, organisations and alternatives for gamers. But he believes the hole with the main League of Legends areas stays clear.“The largest distinction might be the quantity of normal high-level competitors and the depth of the participant pool,” Shenoy stated.In Korea, China and Vietnam, gamers are surrounded by sturdy competitors and have extra alternatives to check themselves in opposition to high-level opposition.Indian gamers have needed to be extra proactive to find these alternatives. “In India, we have needed to be extra proactive about discovering these alternatives and studying from each cross-border occasion we get to play,” Shenoy stated.Playing collectively persistently has helped the group develop its communication and understanding, whereas S8UL has supplied a extra skilled atmosphere across the crew.Joining the organisation, Shenoy stated, gave the gamers extra help with coaching and preparation and the arrogance to look past India. “It additionally gave us extra confidence to look past the Indian ecosystem and take cross-border competitors severely,” he stated.But he sees a longer-term requirement for the sport in India.“There are extra organisations, tournaments and alternatives for gamers to construct a profession,” Shenoy stated. “At the identical time, League of Legends nonetheless wants a deeper participant pool and extra common high-level competitors in India.”For the subsequent era, he needs clearer pathways into aggressive play. “The curiosity and expertise are undoubtedly there. The subsequent step is constructing an ecosystem that may maintain that expertise over the long run.”

South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong await

India has been drawn alongside South Korea (2022 Asian Games Gold Medallist), Chinese Taipei (2022 Asian Games Silver Medallist) and Hong Kong in Group B at Aichi-Nagoya. For Shenoy, the group provides a direct measure of how a lot Indian League of Legends has developed.The established Asian areas have deeper participant swimming pools and extra common high-level competitors. Playing in opposition to them means testing how shortly the Indian gamers could make selections, adapt and reply underneath stress, however India shouldn’t be travelling merely to look at.“We do not wish to go in pondering we’re merely there to be taught,” Shenoy stated. “We’ve ready severely and we wish to compete.”“What they see on stage is the results of years of labor behind the scenes,” he stated. “There are numerous hours of observe, travelling, learning the sport and balancing esports with training, jobs and life exterior gaming.”“For us, sporting the India jersey is one thing we have labored in direction of for a very long time. It’s an enormous accountability, but it surely’s additionally a privilege.”