The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Eric Bain was the first to represent The Bahamas at the inaugural Pan American Esports Championships in Santiago, Chile, but ultimately fell in the Group A stage.

He battled against Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia competing for a chance to contend for the eFootball title.

The joint effort between the Global Esports Federation and Pan Am Sports was the first time this historic event happened with more non-traditional sports getting a chance to shine along with traditional sports on local and global stages.

Michael Armogan, president of the Bahamas Esports Federation, was very pleased with the strides the nontraditional sport has made especially after the hosting of the first Pan American Esports Championships.

“The inclusion of Esports in the Pan American Championships marked a monumental stride toward recognising the dedication and skill inherent in electronic sports.

“Witnessing Eric Bain, a proficient gamer and a proud Bahamian, compete at this esteemed event was a deeply heartening experience. His participation did not just symbolise personal achievement but a significant milestone for the Bahamian Esports community,” Armogan said.

In match one, it was Bain versus Bolivia’s player representative in the best-of-three series. His competitor snuck away with a 2-0 win.

The following match featured a similar result with the 26-year-old squared up against Brazil. He went down 0-2 ahead of the final match.

Match three saw the Bahamian player once again fall short 0-2 but this time against the top ranked Argentina to end his stint at the first Pan Am Esports Championships.

The Bahamas’ Esports player was unable to enter the top 8 in the eFootball tournament but his initial goal was met by raising more awareness for Esports among Bahamians.

The president shared the exact same sentiment and believes that Bain accomplished it.

“His valiant efforts on this international stage have undoubtedly sowed seeds of inspiration. The Bahamas Esports Federation is ardently committed to nurturing this budding interest. Moving forward, we plan to engage in community outreach, conduct educational programmes, and host local tournaments to fuel the growth of esports here,” he said.

The competition had two categories - open and women - for competitors playing for the Dota 2 and eFootball 2024 titles.

The three-day event concluded with Mexico’s Celic ‘TheArsenalStyle’ Hernandez Valencia winning the first ever gold medal in the eFootball open division.

Brazil’s Henrique ‘Henrykinho’ Silva Mesquita came second and Argentina’s Lautaro Federico ‘LautaroRaris’ Raris placed third.

Brazil won the women’s category, followed by Argentina in second and Paraguay wrapped up third for bronze.

For Dota 2 in the women’s event, Peru took over against Argentina (3-1) to emerge as the title winner.

The host country, Chile, ended the event with third at the inaugural event.

Peru doubled up the gold medals after winning the men’s category of Dota 2. Argentina fell to the victors 0-3 for second. Team Ecuador capped off the event with the third podium spot.

The Bahamas Esports Federation plans to collaborate with educational institutions, host more events in various constituencies and strengthen regional ties with regards to esports in the future.

The 19th Pan American Games and Pan Am Esports Championships ended this past weekend.