KUALA LUMPUR – The Youth and Sports Ministry has presented RM100,000 to support the national esports contingent’s participation in the upcoming Honor of King Championship in Shanghai, China.
Its minister Hannah Yeoh said that the allocation is being given to elevate the players’ performance in the competition, as well as to support the costs of their participation.
“This is the same national esports team that won silver in the recently concluded Asian Games, and they have been invited by the organisers of the championship in Shanghai as a wildcard team.
“I believe that the high prize money offered in this championship will motivate the players to perform well. I also hope they can gain valuable experience from the competition, enabling them to compete against the best teams in the world in the future,” she said.
Hannah was met during the Jalur Gemilang flag handover ceremony for the Esports contingent by the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil today.
Team manager Wong Kang Woon is hopeful for a top-eight finish in the tournament and wants his players to gain as much exposure as possible.
“Our players will be training at NSC from November 10-16, and we will be leaving for the tournament on November 16.
“This competition is for professional teams worldwide, and we don’t want to put too much pressure on the team with high expectations.
“We maintain six players, who won silver in the Asian Games, for the upcoming tournament. We will also introduce a few new players in the tournament,” said Wong.
The Honor of King championship, scheduled to take place from November 29 to 30, will see the participation of 27 teams.
The championship is currently the premier World Championship for both Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor games, with China’s eStar Pro being the defending champion.
At the Hangzhou Asiad in September, the Malaysian team comprised of Lai Chai Chein, Nicholas Ng, Yong Zhang Quan, Ong Jun Yang, Eng Jun How, and Chong Han Hui created history by winning a silver medal in the Arena of Valor game category. – November 8, 2023