DENISE Danial Abdullah’s (pic) joy was tinged with sadness after Malaysia won the gold in the Commonwealth Esports Championship.
On Sunday, the team of William Yeoh, Denise, Chung Wei Shen, Ahmad Ayhad Husam, Pang Sze Xuan and Loyd Yong Binjie were victorious in the Dota 2 open category after beating England 2-1 while India settled for bronze.
Denise was pleased with their achievement and performance throughout the championship but at the same time, felt bad for those who went home without a medal.
“For sure I am very happy as it has always been my dream to deliver a medal for the country,” he said.
“It was quite a close game in the final, so I’m very proud of the boys and the way we played.
“But seeing other countries that lost is pretty heartbreaking because it will not be easy to get another chance to represent the country,” he said.
Esports in Malaysia is not as big compared to other countries and the 21-year-old Denise believes their gold-medal feat in Birmingham will change that.
“I think from what we’ve achieved, it does help esports to grow,” he said.
“I just hope that there will be more opportunities for esports players to deliver again.”
Denise was also glad that they competed in the tournament.
“A few local professional teams were approached but they turned it down as they were concerned it might clash with other tournaments.
“We took the chance and got our first win against Brunei in the qualifying round.
“It was a special experience and gave us the much-needed boost,” said Denise.
It was the first time that esports was featured in the Commonwealth Games and Denise’s team have created history for the country.
Malaysia topped the medal tally with three golds followed by England (1-3-1) and Wales (1-1-1).
The other two golds were contributed by Dota 2 women’s team (Stephanie Lim, Bette Chia, Tan Lyn Xhin, Nadrah Saufi, Wong Wei Sian and Lim Chern Tze) and Mohd Norhaikal Mohd Noh, who won the eFootball category.
