New Delhi, February 21 The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) opened registrations on Saturday for the National Esports Championships, a qualification tournament that will determine India's team for the Asian Games.
India will have the opportunity to compete in 10 video game titles at the Games, which are scheduled to be held in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
Esports will feature as a full-fledged medal event for only the second time, since the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China in 2023.
Registrations for the Nationals will continue until March 7.
The NESC qualification will feature competition across titles confirmed under the Asian Games Esports Program and will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV (as a single team event), Pokémon Unite, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), Puyo Puyo, Naraka: Bladepoint, eFootball, and Gran Turismo.
Through NESC 2026, ESFI will identify and select athletes to represent India across eight medal events, offering a cumulative medal opportunity of up to 24 medals at the continental showcase.
Vinod Kumar Tiwari, President of the Esports Federation of India, said, "With esports now firmly established as a medal event, our focus is on identifying and nurturing the very best talent the country has to offer.
"NESC 2026 provides a fair, competitive, and transparent platform for athletes to earn their place in the national squad. We encourage players from across India to step forward, compete with determination, and seize this opportunity to represent the nation on one of Asia's biggest sporting stages."
For PUBG (Asian Games Version), ESFI will conduct the selection and evaluation process through BGMI.
However, the final participation and representation will remain subject to approval by the concerned competent authority.
The championship is open to professional esports athletes as well as aspiring competitive gamers from across the country, irrespective of gender.
The national selection process will extend over 30 days.
Following the conclusion of the national championships, the selected teams and athletes will advance to the Asian regional qualifiers, which will take place between May and July, 2026.
These qualifiers will determine the final qualification status ahead of the Games in September in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan.