In a momentous achievement for Indian esports, Pavan “MrTomboy” Kampelli won a bronze medal in eFootball at the 2024 Asian Esports Games (AEG) in Bangkok, Thailand. The player TXRO from Thailand won the gold medal, and ParkJi from South Korea won the silver.
En route to the bronze, Kampelli defeated the 2022 eFootball World Finals Winner (Mobile), Asgard Azizi of Team Indonesia, 2-1. Kampelli competed against some of the best eFootball players from across Asia and faced a tough start against eventual winner TXRO. But Kampelli showed remarkable resilience and bounced back by securing victories over players from Indonesia, Syria, and Laos, all with identical 2-1 scorelines, to confirm the bronze medal. This performance allowed him to advance to the Lower Bracket Final, where he fought TXRO for a spot in the Grand Finals, but fell to a narrow defeat
A delighted Kampelli reflected on his achievement, “Winning this bronze feels surreal. It’s a huge honour to represent India and bring home our first-ever medal in eFootball. 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.”
In addition to the bronze medal, he was awarded US$500 for his outstanding performance. His success follows an unbeaten winning run in Phase 1 of the Waves Esports Championship eFootball, where he secured the top spot and, consequently, a berth in the Grand Finale, scheduled for February 2025.
Esports Federation of India (ESFI) director Lokesh Suji, who presented the winners’ medals, expressed, “As an Indian, it was a moment of immense pride and joy for me to bestow this historic medal to my compatriot. Pavan’s bronze is a testament to India’s growing strength and talent in esports. From past achievements in titles like Tekken and DOTA to now making history in eFootball, Indian players continue to push boundaries and make their mark on the global stage. This is yet another proud moment for Indian esports, and we’re confident of bringing many more in near future.”