TWO Bahraini Esports players are hoping to create waves in the digital world after putting on a great show at an international tournament this month.
The youngsters – 22-year-old Abdulaziz Faqihi from Segaya and 21-year-old Rashed Alrowaihi from Riffa – came second in the Asian Electronic Sports Federation EA Sports Fifa competition, held from July 2 to August 6 in Seoul, South Korea.
The two were pitted against West Asian opposition from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman in their group.
Fifa23, a football video game developed by Electronic Arts, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best selling sports video game franchise in the world. It has been released annually since 1993 and will be rebranded as EA Sports FC starting this year following the end of a 30-year partnership between EA and the world football governing body Fifa.
Mr Faqihi (azizfaqihi) and Mr Alrowaihi (ALRWAI7I), students of University of Bahrain, have loved Esports since they were children and enjoyed playing video games, especially Fifa packages. They aimed to go professional and have been rigorously practising for tournaments since the game’s latest version was released in September 2022.
“It was an honour to compete against some of the best in the region,” Mr Faqihi told the GDN.
“I am proud to have represented Bahrain on the global stage, finishing just behind Saudi’s Ahmed Mujahid (abomakkah10). Luck wasn’t on my side for the first two games, but I managed to turn it around and win the next five.”
In Fifa23, each player picks a team and the aim is to outscore the opponents within the allotted time. Whoever scores most goals wins the game and gets a ‘win’ record added to their name. This is repeated in a round robin format against other teams in the opposition.
Mr Faqihi is, however, not content with being the second best and hopes to scale new heights.
“I know I am capable of taking the first place and cannot wait to showcase my full potential in future,” he said.
“This experience has taught me what it takes to excel at the highest level.
“This is just the beginning, now I know what I need to do to win the next time, and I will take advantage of any opportunity in the future.”
Mr Alrowaihi, who individually finished fifth, shares his teammate’s passion for the game and has vowed to improve as well.
“I am happy with our second place team finish as it shows Bahrain can compete with the best,” he said.
“I am very proud of Abdulaziz, but I know I can also compete at that level. I was just one win away from a top three finish.
“So I began analysing and tuning my gameplay to be ready for the next tournament. Competing against top players showed me where I need to improve strategically and mechanically. I’ve gathered valuable data on my strengths and weaknesses and this will help me create a training plan to develop my skills.”
Mr Alrowaihi’s brother and team coach, 29-year-old Mohamed Alrowaihi from Riffa, who works as a specialist in Bapco, expressed his pride in the boys’ performance at the AESF, hinting at greater things to come.
“It was a result of great effort and commitment put into training ahead of the tournament,” he said.
“I am happy with what we have achieved, however, I believe there is always room for improvement. We have prepared an intensive training plan ahead of the next tournament, and I am confident in the boys’ passion and dedication to continuously improve.”
The men extended their thanks to Bahrain Esports Federation president Hussain Al Kooheji and manager Zainab Al Turabi for inspiring Bahrain’s pro players to pursue their dreams.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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