Maharashtra Government Honors Esports Players

The government of the Indian state of Maharashtra has taken a significant step in the formal recognition of competitive gaming by awarding financial bonuses to esports athletes. This initiative marks the first instance of an Indian state government providing cash incentives to esports players alongside traditional Olympic athletes for their performance in a major international tournament. Specifically, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services awarded INR 10 lakhs—approximately $12,000 USD—to each athlete who represented India in Dota 2 and League of Legends at the 2022 Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, China.

The recipients included Dota 2 team members Darshan Bata, Krish Gupta, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli, as well as League of Legends player Samarth Trivedi. These athletes were selected through a process facilitated by the Esports Federation of India, which maintains membership with the International Esports Federation. While the Indian national Dota 2 team finished in 12th place and the League of Legends team reached the quarterfinals, the government’s decision to provide these rewards underscores a growing institutional acceptance of esports as a legitimate sporting discipline.

This development highlights a broader regional trend where the Olympic Council of Asia has actively integrated esports into its multi-sport events. However, this progress remains contrasted by the International Olympic Committee’s continued hesitation regarding titles featuring animated violence. Despite these global policy tensions, the actions taken by the Maharashtra government represent a milestone in the domestic professionalization and financial support of the Indian esports sector.