Nagoya (Japan): China’s Mu Xinyue became the first female athlete to win an Asian Games esports gold medal after China defeated Japan in the Identity V Asian Games Version final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday.
Asian Games esports events are open to both male and female athletes, but men continue to make up the overwhelming majority of registered athletes. According to registration data for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, more than 500 athletes were registered for esports, with only 14 of them women.
“When I first started competing, I never imagined that I would be able to win a gold medal on the Asian Games stage,” Mu said. “When the national anthem was played, and the gold medal was around my neck, I was so excited and happy. I think this may be the happiest moment of my life.”
Identity V is an asymmetrical competitive game in which each round consists of two halves, with the two teams taking turns playing as survivors and hunters. Four players compete on the survivor side while one plays as the hunter, with points awarded based on the number of survivors who escape and the hunter’s eliminations, reports Xinhua.
China’s Identity V squad consists of hunters Shi Xiangwei and Sun Le, and survivors Lu Shujia, Chen Mingming, Lu Yahui, Fan Siqi and Mu. Mu, whose in-game ID is “Tao Wan’an,” is the only female member of China’s esports delegation at the Games.
The final was tightly contested. The two sides tied the opening two rounds 4-4 and 5-5 before China took the third round 7-2 to gain the upper hand. The fourth round ended in another 4-4 tie, sending the match into a decisive fifth round. China took a 3-1 lead in the first half of the fifth round, which was enough to secure the victory.
Shi, whose in-game ID is “Nianjin,” said competing at the Asian Games carried a different sense of responsibility from playing in a professional league.
“First of all, there is a change of identity, and there is also greater responsibility on your shoulders,” Shi said. “You can be nervous, and you can feel pressure, but you shouldn’t let the pressure and nerves affect your performance in the game. Accept the nerves and the pressure, face them naturally, and just play your normal game.”
The final was interrupted by a technical issue between the two halves of the fourth round, with play suspended for nearly 30 minutes before competition resumed. The interruption was caused by an on-site network cable issue.
Mu said she remained calm during the unexpected stoppage. “I didn’t really have any emotional fluctuations at that time,” the 20-year-old said. “We just waited to see what the referees and the organisers would decide. All we needed to do was wait patiently.”
Esports made its Asian Games debut as a demonstration sport at Jakarta 2018 before becoming an official medal sport at Hangzhou in 2023. The number of medal events has increased from seven in Hangzhou to 11 at Aichi-Nagoya, with Identity V Asian Games Version making its Asian Games debut.
China entered four of the 11 esports events at Aichi-Nagoya — Naraka: Bladepoint, Honour of Kings, Game for Peace Asian Games Version and Identity V Asian Games Version. China won gold in Naraka: Bladepoint and Honour of Kings and silver in Game for Peace Asian Games Version before adding the Identity V gold on Wednesday, concluding its esports campaign with three gold medals and one silver.
(IANS)
