Pavan Kampelli secures historic bronze medal in eFootball at Asian Esports Games

India’s Pavan Kampelli on Monday claimed the bronze medal in eFootball, the country’s first-ever podium finish in the event, at the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok.

Pavan Kampelli (extreme right) claimed the bronze medal in eFootball, the country’s first-ever podium finish in the event, at the 2024 Asian Esports Games. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

India’s Pavan Kampelli on Monday claimed the bronze medal in eFootball, the country’s first-ever podium finish in the event, at the 2024 Asian Esports Games in Bangkok.

On way to the bronze medal, Pavan, popularly known as ‘Mr Tomboy’, also defeated the 2022 eFootball World Finals Winner (Mobile), Asgard Azizi of Team Indonesia, 2-1.

Pavan competed against some of the best eFootball players from across Asia and faced a tough start against eventual winner, TXRO of Team Thailand.

However, he showed remarkable resilience and bounced back by securing hard-fought victories over players from Indonesia, Syria, and Laos -- all with an identical 2-1 margin -- to bag the historic medal.

This performance allowed Pavan to advance to the Lower Bracket Final, where he fought TXRO valiantly for a spot in the Grand Finals, but suffered a narrow defeat there.

“Winning this bronze feels surreal. It’s a huge honour to represent India and bring home our first-ever medal in eFootball,” Pavan, who was awarded USD 500 for his outstanding performance, said in a press release.

“The competition was intense, but I’m proud of the way I fought through the bracket. This is just the beginning, and I’m motivated to achieve even more in future tournaments.”