CHENNAI : Playing video games has always been a thing of interest for many of us in our childhood days. And so it was for Shailesh Dalvi a 20-year-old gamer. “Since my school days, I used to love playing video games. During college, my friends used to play Counter Strike 1.6 in a gaming cafe called Gameplex. I started going with them regularly to the gaming place and play with them. Soon I developed interest in Counter Strike:Global Offensive and began to master it,”he says.
Based in Mumbai, Shailesh is a professional Counter Strike: Global Offensive player, and has been into gaming for the past two years. He finds gaming to be a form of never-ending entertainment. “These days, the gaming scene is very competitive with many organisations hiring gamers to play. Many people are able to earn a lot through gaming,” he says. Talking about his gaming idol he says, “My favourite in the gaming world is Coldzera from team sk gaming. I like his gameplay because of the way he plays the game.”
Currently Shailesh is a computer engineering student. He has participated in many tournaments. The last event he played is ASUS Rog Masters in which his team Eternal Esports were the runner-up.
His gaming schedule is hectic. Shifting from team Eternal Esports, he now plays with team Malhar. He practices every alternate day after college hours, for atleast 6-7 hours a day. He wishes to represent India in the upcoming International events.Does he have other hobbies and interests? The 20-year-old is swift to decline. “When I am bored, I like to play games as I get to know new people through gaming. Apart from that, I sometimes like to travel new places,” he says.
Talking about the gaming field in India, he says, “In our country the scene is gradually growing. There need to be more gaming tournaments organised here, and gamers should be exposed to opportunities to play at international tournaments.” Like any other sport, Esports are growing in our country, he adds, pointing out how several people take gaming as a career in countries like Sweden and America. “I hope that becomes a possibility in India too, soon,” he says.