CHENNAI: In India, now, there are many tournaments coming up for gamers and it is no surprise when you hear that a 24-year-old is a master of a game. Mumbai-based Krishna Salecha is creating waves through his expertise in Counter Strike: Global Offensive; an online game where five terrorists are pitted against five counter-terrorists.
Krishna’s interest in gaming began six years ago when he stepped into the world of CS:GO. “I was a normal college going student and started visiting gaming cafes with my friend for some casual games. When we realised that we can go professional playing computer games, my interest piqued. Since then I have been playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive,” he says.
Though he didn’t get much support from his family, he followed his passion. “My mother was very supportive about my gaming but my father wasn’t happy about it. I quit the science stream and opted for commerce as I could get some time for gaming,” he shares.
The gaming scene in India has undergone a lot of changes and Krishna points out that even gamers are working hard to get recognised. Some teams even get paid well these days. “Now that most of the tournaments are happening online it gives an advantage to the underdogs. You also need a lot of experience and confidence,” he adds.
Krishna works in a BPO and makes it a point to play with his teammates regularly. He has also won a few big tournaments. “My best was when my teammates Gokul Sagar, Sunil Suresh and I defeated the best team in India and got an opportunity to represent India in Paris,” he says.
In this field, Krishna’s idol is FalleN from SK gaming, Brazil. “He has trained his team from scratch and won many games. I dream to do the same,” he smiles. Krishna practices 12 hours a day with an aim to be at the top again.