Meet Meghana Gaddam, New Zealand’s Indian origin Youth Parliament member
Compiled by: Amrita Priya
(January 5, 2023) Meghana Gaddam stood before the New Zealand parliament, greeting the speaker with a ‘Namaskaram’ before turning to the minister of health to ask, “How do health system reforms address the existing nationwide resource constraint in the health sector particularly labour shortages.” By her side stood MP Tim van de Molen, whom she was assisting. Meghana is a member of the Youth Parliament, part of a novel method of functioning in the New Zealand government. Citizens elect close to 120 MPs, each one of whom works in close association with a nominated Youth Parliament member.
In 2022, when Meghana was nominated for the role, her responsibilities included helping the MP deal with issues related to the youth and to act as their voice within the parliament.She has been working with Waikato’s MP Tim van de Molen with a focus on shelter for every person, especially in the wake of Covid-19 induced poverty and homelessness.
Meghana Gaddam in the New Zealand Parliament
“Nothing is impossible for a strong-willed person, if one is determined to do best to achieve their goals in life,” she remarked while interacting with media after getting selected for the coveted role.
Inclination towards social work
The Youth Parliament is held every three years, providing young New Zealanders the chance to learn first-hand about the country’s democracy, influence decision-making and have their voices heard. As the government made its selection, it recognized Meghana’s exposure to social service and efforts to raise funds for orphans in Waikato.
“With my friends, I had taken up activities to support orphans and kids from refugee camps who had migrated from Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq,” she revealed in an interview.
Meghana Gaddam with MP Tim van de Molen in New Zealand Parliament
Tim Van de Molen, the MP whom Meghana is currently ,assisting remarked in an interview that the four-minute video, where she gave her opinion on issues facing youth in the Waikato, was excellent and seemed as if it came straight from the Parliament’s general debate.
From India to New Zealand
Meghana’s father, Gaddam Ravikumar immigrated to New Zealand twenty-two years ago with his newly wedded wife, and settled in Waikato as a real estate businessman. Meghana was born there, and the family has been staying in St Kilda.
Meghana Gaddam with her parents
Always a bright student, she completed her International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme’ (IBDP) from St Peter’s, Cambridge, graduating as head girl.
Meghana excelled academically and also participated in various social service initiatives in school. She did a two-year stint at the Refugee Orientation Centre Trust in Hamilton and was an active Model United Nations participant.
This laid the foundation of the people’s person that the nineteen-year-old Global Indian eventually became.
The Indian roots
Though born and brought up in New Zealand, the youth icon of the island country hasn’t forgotten her Indian roots. Visiting her native place, Tanguturu in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh with her parents has been an annual affair.
The youngster fluently converses in Telugu and clued in to Indian culture. She is also always in the thick of traditions followed by the diaspora.
(December 21, 2023) Aditya Mukarji is a familiar face in the growing crop of young global climate warriors, who are boldly taking their fight to the doorsteps of the powers that be. Mukarji's cause is the battle against single-use plastics, one of the most pressing environmental hazards of the day. We use trillions of single use plastics per year and since the majority of these aren't recycled, they make their way to landfills and oceans. Birds and marine animals mistake them for food and fish consume thousands of tonnes per year. This plastic makes its way up the food chain and goes full circle back to human beings, who reportedly consume the equivalent of half a credit card each week. Now a Sophomore President's Scholar at the University of Toronto, the Global Indian has been part of the climate strike in New York led by Greta Thunberg and served as a Youth Ambassador for the Earth Day Network in 2020. He is also the Co-Founder and Environment Head of The Alternatives, an online page with a global following that spreads awareness about the harms of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at
of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at COP26 and in 2019, was an India representative at the UN Youth Climate Summit.
How it began
In 2018, Aditya Mukarji came across a video of a doctor trying to pull a plastic straw out of a turtle's nose. The imagery was stark, and left Mukarji, who was only 14 at the time, feeling quite disturbed. "The crying and bleeding of the turtle really impacted me, and made me feel guilty for human actions, which we take without thinking of the consequences for other living forms," Mukarji remarked in an interview later. He hadn't imagined that the plastic we use everyday had such a catastrophic effect on the environment. He began reading up about the consequences, and learned that oceans and landmasses are inundated with single-use plastics that don't biodegrade.
Mukarji turned to his mentor, Ms Bharti Chatturvedi, of Chintan, who told him about the problems of waste management and waste pickers. The solution, he felt, lay in tackling the problem at its source - and eradicating the use of single-use plastics in the hospitality industry. Mukarji, then a class 11 student at Shri Ram School, Gurugram, embarked on a door to-door campaign in and around Delhi-NCR, where he lived at the time, to spread awareness about the problem and to promote eco-friendly solutions. "I feel like straws are hte most useless invention for the common man,' he said. "They have the least utility and maximum environmental impact."
Two years after he began his campaign, Mukarji was able to avert the use of over 26 million plastic objects, and had persuaded some 200 establishments to become environmentally friendly. It took persistence, he says. "I called them countless times." Eventually, they understood his passion for the campaign, as well as the wisdom of his message, and he says, "many complied." The Lalit Group of hotels, Claridges, The Delhi Golf Club, the Gymkhana Club, PVR and INOX, JW Marriot Aerocity and JSW Steel all went plastic free at the behest of this determined teenager.
Not wanting to stop there, Mukarji also works on waste management and segregation at source. In India, he conducted went door to door, and to housing societies, asking them to change their waste segregation methods. During this time, he was interning with the United Nations Development Programme's plastic waste management programme. He was able to get letters of intent to segregate 35 tonnes of waste monthly.
The UN's eco warrior
He soon received recognition for his work. At 16, he was named a 2020 International Young Eco-Hero by Action for Nature, one of 17 activists from around the world to receive that recognition. "It's a very major responsibility and we have been tasked with the promotion of action in India as well as motivating other youth to take up climate action too. "No social movement or climate action movement can be truly successful unless the change is not started at the grassroots level," Mukarji remarks. "And this is where I want to change the use and throw mentality of people, make them environmentally friendly and reconnect them with their roots and heritage by taking small and simple steps," he said in an interview with NDTV.
In 2020, Mukarji collaborated with universities and organisations around the world in a global afforestation initiative called Forest of Hope. As the name implies, the aim is to increase the planet's dwindling green cover. Forest of Hope had numerous partners, including Neotia University, St Stephens College, 1 Billion Trees Africa and the Kelowna City Council in India, among others.
That year, he also interned with the United Nations Development Programme, an achievement made even more remarkable by the fact that the UN, which doesn't accept interns below the age of 18, made an exception for him. After that, he was invited to speak at the UN headquarters in India about his work and his efforts to promote a plastic-free society. "IN September 2019, I was asked to be a part of the UN Youth Climate Action Summit in New York," he told Social Story. "Here I got a chance to not only interact with UN Secretary-General Antionio Gutteres, but also join Greta Thunberg in the march."
Looking ahead
After that, Mukarji became one of the 17 Young Climate Leaders for the UN India Campaign, 'We the Change', in 2022. Now a student at the University of Toronto, Mukarji will graduate from Trinity College in 2026. He is also a part of Invest India, an initiative by the Ministry of Commer, GoI, is a Diana Awardee from 2021 and has been named an Aatma Nirbhar Champion. He also continues to practice a sustainable lifestyle on his own, through what he describes as small measures, like using a bamboo toothbrush, carrying his own jute bag to the grocery store, even if they offer eco-friendly bags, using ceramic cups at Starbucks or carrying his own cup if he wants a takeaway, living up to his own credence, ‘RefuseIfYouCannotReuse’.
(September 15, 2022) Alana Meenakshi Kolagatla was barely four when she first got the feel of the king, queen, rook, bishop, and pawn on the chess board. The child hardly had any understanding of the game, yet she was just about able to arrange the pieces in order. By the time she turned six, the chess prodigy began playing professionally. Success followed her everywhere ever since. Having won several locals, national and international championships — of which she admittedly has lost the count — Alana, now 11, has been making all the right moves. “I want to become a grandmaster as soon as possible," declares Alana Meenakshi, the World No.1 in the Under-11 girls' category, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_21903" align="aligncenter" width="483"] Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi, chess prodigy[/caption] Since 2018, Alana has taken the world of chess by storm with her consistent performance. She continued her winning streak with gold, silver, and bronze medals to the country's tally and went on to bag the Women Candidate Master (WCM) title when she played in Sri Lanka in 2018. “Sometimes when you're winning, you just feel you're winning and let go of it and end up losing the game
istent performance. She continued her winning streak with gold, silver, and bronze medals to the country's tally and went on to bag the Women Candidate Master (WCM) title when she played in Sri Lanka in 2018. “Sometimes when you're winning, you just feel you're winning and let go of it and end up losing the game or end up in a draw. I have never really kept track of how many games I won and lost,” informs the chess prodigy, who has travelled to Albania, China, Sri Lanka, Serbia, and Hungary among other countries for her tournaments, besides vacations. Her father, Madhu Kolagatla is a businessman, and her mother Dr Aparna Kolagatla is a scientist and a career counsellor.
A move in the right direction
The chess prodigy from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, who was also the world No 2 in the Under-10 category (December 2022) before she made it to the top, finds chess a very lonely game. “Sometimes you feel very bored, just like you're looking at 64 squares with 32 pieces. And if you don't enjoy what's going on, you don't understand what's going on,” says the chess mastermind. But at the end of the day, she says, the combinations and the tactics in the game are what draw her towards it. “People feel that chess is very hard to play and only smart people can play the game. But that's not true. If you play chess, you will become smarter. It's actually the opposite,” smiles the class VI student of Timpany school, Visakhapatanam.
[caption id="attachment_21904" align="aligncenter" width="616"] The young prodigy with all her medals and trophies[/caption]
Alana plays chess every day. “I need to work a lot to reach a certain level. I practice for about 8 hours a day. So usually it's like four to six hours coaching and then maybe two hours games and then two hours I work by myself,” informs Alana, who occasionally takes a break from the game when she is overstressed. When it comes to tournaments, her games last up to six hours.
So what does it take to become a professional chess player like her? “Hard work, talent, and seriousness. One should be willing to work a lot, even though sometimes it gets very stressful. Strategy and confidence will keep you going in the game,” feels this huge Potterhead, who has read all Harry Potter books.
She is now trying yoga and meditation to beat the stress. “My parents recommended it and though I am trying my best for the past few weeks, it feels boring sometimes,” she laughs. Before every tournament, she makes sure to check who she is playing against, prepare against them and make note of their weaknesses and strengths.
Alana’s achievements have made her parents and friends proud of her. “It feels great when family members and friends tell others that I am an international chess player and stuff like that. Parents, sometimes say I could have done better after a particular tournament,” says the prodigy, who lists her win in her first international chess in Sri Lanka as one of the major highlights of her journey so far.
Beyond the chequered world
Besides chess, Alana likes to play tennis. "I actually play tennis just for physical fitness, go swimming, and indulge in basketball once in a while," says Alana, who likes to watch all the action stuff on Netflix.
Ask her if she comes across children who love Chess, the Vizag girl feels that people should start playing chess because it develops intellectual skills, calculations, and quick reflexes. "People don't play chess because they think it's very hard and boring, but I don't think so. There are a few people who are interested in chess, who are around my age, plus or minus a few years, but many are not," says Alana, whose elder brother Dhruv is a tennis player.
What else does Alana like to do? "Fashion designing interests me but I am not very sure. I am still in VI grade so I have another three to four more years to decide," informs the champ, who like most kids her age, loves Dario for Wimpy Kid as well. She is a huge fan of Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, and Justin Bieber as well. Alana makes it a point to visit as many places as places while on a foreign trip. Recently, she was in Budapest where she visited the castle, Parliament, and many more places to understand its history and rich culture.
"Kids should do more something creative than just watching TV or spending time on mobile phones. They should go out and play or, try some arts and crafts. Maybe, they should try learning a new thing like chess," is her message to children her age.
(June 15, 2023) "She's already poised to make a profound impact on the world by helping people with their health, and we're excited to see what she does next," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, about Asmi Jain, a twenty-year-old developer from Indore, who is one of the three winners of the Apple Swift Student Challenge. Overnight, the quiet teen from Indore skyrocketed into fame, and the world learned Asmi Jain's name. Cook was all praise for Jain, saying that the ioS developer community in India has always fascinated him, and that the young girl's work exemplifies creativity. Jain's app playground was declared one of three winners from 375 entries received from around the world. Jain, who is a student at Medi-Caps University in Indore, found her call to action when a friend's uncle had to undergo brain surgery. The procedure left him with misaligned eyes and facial paralysis. It stirred her to action and she began working on an app that can track a user's eye movements as they follow a ball moving around the screen. According to the press note by Apple, "The playground's purpose is to help strengthen the eye muscles, and though it was inspired by her
ing around the screen. According to the press note by Apple, "The playground's purpose is to help strengthen the eye muscles, and though it was inspired by her friend's uncle, Jain hopes it can be used by people with a variety of eye conditions and injuries.
[caption id="attachment_31082" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Asmi Jain, winner of Apple Swift Student Challenge.[/caption]
Driven by empathy
Jain is one of the three, first-time winners of the Swift Student Challenge, an annual competition organised by Apple during the Worldwide Developer's Conference. The program is intended to provide young developers with a platform to showcase their coding abilities and creative ideas. The challenge requires participants to create interactive playgrounds and apps using Swift, Apple's programming language.
Always driven to make a positive impact on society, the Global Indian found that the healthcare sector was the ideal place to put her coding skills to use. She had also spent years volunteering to help people in her community. She is also part of a forum at university for students to collaborate and work through coding problems.
"When you feel as though you're part of something bigger, it motivates you and drives you to do better," she remarked. "Coding lets me create things that help my friends and my community." It also gives her a sense of independence, she says, which is "very empowering."
Asmi's plan involves getting feedback to make sure the app is "effective and user-friendly, then release it on the App store," she says. "Ultimately, I want to expand it so that it helps strengthen all of the muscles in the face, and I hope it can one day serve as a therapy tool that people like my friend's uncle can use at their own pace."
Asmi is among a group of elite, AI-savvy young coders around the world who are harnessing cutting-edge technology to create social change. Developers like Asmi Jain are at the forefront of creating innovative solutions that address healthcare challenges. Technology has helped enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems, benefiting healthcare professionals and patients alike.
Through intuitive user interfaces and secure data handling, as is the case with Asmi’s app, patients are empowered to actively participate in their own healthcare, while healthcare providers can access critical information in real-time, leading to better decision-making and more personalized care.
What is the Apple Swift Challenge?
The Apple Swift Student Challenge is an annual competition organized by Apple during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). It is specifically designed to provide young developers with an opportunity to showcase their coding abilities and creative ideas using Swift, Apple's programming language.
The challenge invites students from around the world to submit their interactive playgrounds or apps created with Swift. Participants are encouraged to think innovatively and solve real-world problems through their projects. The entries are judged based on various criteria, including technical accomplishment, creativity, and the overall design of the project.
Winners of the Swift Student Challenge receive a range of exciting prizes, including a WWDC21 jacket and pin set, a one-year membership in the Apple Developer Program, and access to future WWDC events. Moreover, their projects are showcased on the Apple Developer website and in the App Store.
The Apple Swift Student Challenge not only recognizes the talent and potential of young developers but also provides them with a platform to gain exposure, connect with industry professionals, and kickstart their careers in app development and software engineering.
(October 5, 2022) Sprinter Hima Das created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships in 2018 in Finland. Owing to her fantastic sports performances back-to-back, the Assam-born athlete was appointed as the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) under Assam’s state integrated sport policy in 2021. Proud to wear this uniform and fortunate enough to serve my state and my country on two fields. Hima posted on social media, donning her police uniform with pride. The Bannerghatta Biological Park named a tigress cub 'Hima' to honour the sprinter. The youngster also holds the national record for clocking 400 meters in 50.79 seconds at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She is only the second athlete to have done her state proud by bringing home a gold at an international sporting event, after 1940-born Bhogeswar Baruah, who had won gold at the 1966 Asian Games. “I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com. [caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption] Journey of the Dhing Express Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after
“I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com.
[caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption]
Journey of the Dhing Express
Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after the town near which she was born in Assam. As a child, she aspired to become a football player and loved playing the sport with the boys of her school in the village. However, the physical education teacher of the school identified her talent as a sprinter and motivated her to take it further. Although Hima’s only experience was of running through her village’s muddy rice fields, she followed his advice and as they say, the rest is history!
Born in Kandhulimari village near Dhing, to a farmer couple named Ronjit and Jonali Das, Hima is the youngest of five siblings. She attended Dhing Public High School and later, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. After passing her senior secondary exam in 2019, Hima went on to pursue bachelor of arts in Cotton University, Assam.
[caption id="attachment_22670" align="aligncenter" width="751"] Sprinter on track[/caption]
Eventful achievements in the 18th year of life
2018 was an eventful year for the Global Indian. She won the 400 m final at the IAAF World U-20 Championships held at Tampere, Finland, clocking 51.46 seconds.
Indian track-and-field legend and former Olympian, PT Usha, gave the young athlete a rave review on social media:
Hima was inundated with congratulations from well-wishers across the country, including the president, Prime Minister, sport ministers and Bollywood personalities.
At the 2018 Asian Games, she qualified for the 400 m final, after clocking 51.00 in heat 1. She set a new Indian national record, even though it was the silver that came her way. The same year, the sprinter went on to improve the national record to 50.79 seconds in the 400 m final.
[caption id="attachment_22696" align="alignnone" width="883"] Hima Das with Sourav Ganguly and Abhishek Bachchan[/caption]
Later, in August 2018, along with M. R. Poovamma, Sarita Gayakwad and V. K. Vismaya, the Dhing Express won women's 4 × 400 metres mix relay clocking 3:28.72 which was held for the first time at the Asian Games. This was the year of Hima’s international debut and not many sport lovers were aware of her. They soon learned, when multiple medals, with some historic ones, made her a household name. Hima was given the Arjuna Award by the President of India that year.
Roaring success with five golds in second year of her debut
Hima continued her superb performances the following year too. In July 2019, she won the 200m gold in Poznan Grand Prix in Poland at 23.65 seconds. She went on to win 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland with a time of 23.97 seconds just after five days of the first win. Within a week of her second win, she bagged her third gold at the Kladno Athletics meet in Czech Republic, clocking 23.43 seconds. That same month, she added a fourth to her kitty, this time at the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with 23.25 seconds. A fifth gold followed at the 400-metre event in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic with 52.09 seconds. In an astonishing 18-day period, between July 2 and July 20 2019, Hima won five golds and became a queen in the hearts of India's athletics fans.
So enormous was her success that the entire world took notice of the sprinting glory. “At this age, she has exhibited great courage and confidence. I didn’t see any sign of nervousness during the events,” remarked the ace sprinter, PT Usha on social media.
The athlete was being slotted for the World Championships to be held at Doha in October 2019 but unfortunately her participation had to be ruled out due to a back injury which kept her out of action for months.
Confidence and hope unaffected by injury
Though she has returned from the injury lay-off, she is returning one step at a time. She has been running 100m and 200m. “I have not cut (off) from running 400 meters. It (recuperating after injury) is a long process,” she said in an interview.
The right side of her back still gives quite a trouble. She has won 100m gold in the National Inter-State Championships with her personal best time of 10.43s.” "My L4 and L5 (two lowest vertebrae in the lumbar spine) were broken and was in a different position. Whenever I run it affects me. I did my physiotherapy and ran 30m, 40m, 50m, 100m and then 200m gradually. Till 300m, I am fine,” she told her eager fans.
The challenge...
The last 100 m of a 400-meter race is the most crucial as the sprinters have to pick a lot of speed, then. This is where Hima has been facing problems. Talking about the condition at a training stint in Poland, she said, “when I did that once I had to be taken to the hospital.” The committed athlete faced the same problem at National Inter-State Championships in Patiala in 2021 and got forced to pull out of the 100 m and 4 X 100 due to the pain. She even had to skip the Tokyo Olympics.
The sprinter was eagerly looking forward to come back with a bang at Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 but coming to the previous form required some more recuperation. She failed to qualify for the finals of the women's 200m in August 2022.
National Games 2022
The 36th National Games of India is being held in Gujarat from September 29 to October 12, 2022. India’s prestigious multi-event sporting competition has returned after a gap of seven years in Gujarat. It was last held in 2015 in Kerala. The nation wanted the ‘Dhing Express’ to come roaring back to action. However, she could not clinch the gold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=970H49AxWfo
She hasn’t lost hope and is looking forward to future events. Hima, is among an elite team of sports stars who have put India on the world map for athletics. She enjoys such a reputation that she will always be India’s ‘star sprinter’.
(July 26, 2024) A 23-year-old from Chandigarh, who is a rising star in Indian esports, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian to qualify for the FC Pro 24 World Championship. In a thrilling play-in match, Charanjot Singh emerged victorious with a 5-4 scoreline against “JP Sleator,” securing his place among the top 32 players in the world. This achievement followed his impressive third-place finish in Gathering D, solidifying his spot in the main competition. The FC Pro World Championship 24 stands as the pinnacle of eFIFA competition, hosted in Berlin, Germany, with an impressive $1,000,000 prize pool. Charanjot’s historic qualification marks a monumental moment for Indian esports, yet his journey is far from over. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charanjot Singh (@charanjot12) His love for esports began with casual gaming at his friend’s place during weekends, while growing up in Chandigarh. “I did not have a console at that time. I used to play during my summer vacations or in weekends,” said the boy who loved Fortnite, Call of Duty among other games. But it was FIFA that he like the most owing to his love for football. He remembers watching 2010
His love for esports began with casual gaming at his friend’s place during weekends, while growing up in Chandigarh. “I did not have a console at that time. I used to play during my summer vacations or in weekends,” said the boy who loved Fortnite, Call of Duty among other games. But it was FIFA that he like the most owing to his love for football. He remembers watching 2010 FIFA World Cup as a seven year old, and was instantly hooked. However, things took a serious turn in 2019 when he participated in his first esports competition in Chandigarh. “That was the start of my competitive chapter in e-sports,” he said in an interview.
He cultivated his passion for FIFA through local tournaments, where his skill and dedication eventually propelled him to the forefront of Indian esports. “During the lockdown, I began playing professionally for the first time. In 2020, I signed my first eSports contract,” he added. Two years later, he represented Bengaluru FC at Indian Super League. But the big break came when he represented India at the 2022 Asian Games held in September 2023 in Hangzhou in China. It was in 2018 that esport was first introduced as a demonstration sport in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang.
In a short span, Charanjot has become popular in the world of esports with even Korean players recognising him. “The pressure of being the favorite makes me perform better,” he had said.
However, it hasn’t been an easy journey for Charanjot who had a hard time finding sponsors since it’s esports and not sports. Since mobile games are quite popular in India, those esports tournaments gather much viewership than FIFA. “That’s because FIFA is a console game. Getting consoles in India is a costly affair. For mobile games you can get any mobile and start playing games but for console games you need to spend ₹40,000-50,000 at least. Then you have to buy games every year. You get sponsors… but you have to really convince them,” said Charanjot, who is BA Final year.
Charanjot, who plays three-four hours every day, focuses on enjoying the game rather than feeling the pressure. “If your opponent is sitting near of next to you, it gets intimidating. But the best players are those who are able to deal with the pressure,” he added.
The young player is glad that e-sports has now found international recognition, and wants more parents to support their kids who aspire to pursue esports. “It is not just being a gamer. You can also consider the content side. If you can create good content then you can sign with the e-sports teams. There is a lot of money in e-sports for sure. But I will not advise you to stop studies and just play e-sports. It is easy and hard money together. If you are winning tournaments then you feel making money is easy. But once you start struggling, it becomes difficult.”
But he does feel that presence of more tournaments such as ESL will have a positive impact as the popularity of FIFA and football has surged, especially with the recent rise of football in India. “However, the growth of the game is still in a learning stage, similar to the dormant stage, and the cost of the console is prohibitive. I believe that it is difficult for people to access FIFA in eSports due to the console’s cost, which is approximately ₹50,000.”
Charanjot will be seen playing it up at FC Pro 24 World Championship in July this year, and is keen to become the best FIFA gamer in the world. “I want to continue playing as long as my body allow me to do so … as one ages the reflexes get slower.” This prestigious event gathers top players worldwide for intense one-on-one virtual football competition. His participation not only highlights his talent on a global stage but also sets a benchmark for Indian esports, inspiring others to pursue international recognition.
The young prodigy with all her medals and trophies[/caption]
Asmi Jain, winner of Apple Swift Student Challenge.[/caption]
Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption]
Sprinter on track[/caption]
Hima Das with Sourav Ganguly and Abhishek Bachchan[/caption]
