Bilal Mohamed, a 25-year-old Kenyan esports talent, secured a stunning victory at the gamrX African Championship held at the Landmark Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. The event witnessed participants from 12 African countries, including Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Cameroon, Angola, and hosts Nigeria. Mohamed’s exceptional performance in the Street Fighter 6 final against Nigeria’s Chukwudi Okoli culminated in a hard-fought 3-2 victory, marking an unforgettable international debut.
Expressing his elation, Mohamed shared his motivation to strive for greater heights in his esports career while honing his craft. He remarked, “The final was very tough and tight, but I managed to clutch it out and went to the final round. I am looking forward to going back home and training very hard and hopefully get more opportunities to travel.”
Moreover, Mohamed expressed his aspirations for the growth of esports in Kenya, emphasizing the need for increased sponsorship and support for talented players. He stated, “I am looking forward to esports growing in Kenya and seeing more sponsors active in the scene and flying out players…and supporting them. We definitely have a lot of talents in Kenya that are going unnoticed.”
Esports Kenya president, Ronny Lusigi, lauded Mohamed’s remarkable achievement as a testament to the immense potential of esports in the country.
Lusigi expressed his congratulations to Mohamed, stating, “He has really proven that the Kenyan esports players have the talent to compete at the highest level. As a federation, it gives us the motivation to continue supporting our players to go and play abroad.”
Lusigi further added, “This is just the beginning…we are going to support more of our players to play in international esports competitions, and Kenyans should expect more trophies…more international trophies.”
The success of Bilal Mohamed in the gamrX African Championship highlights the growing prominence of esports on the African continent. As Kenya’s esports community celebrates this momentous victory, hopes are high that it will pave the way for more Kenyan talents to shine on the international stage. The achievement serves as a catalyst for the development of esports in Kenya, with a focus on nurturing gifted players and attracting increased sponsorship and opportunities.
