Windsor’s Ananum, Khanduja to represent Canada in inaugural FISU eSports Challenge Football

July 2, 2020

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A pair of student-athletes from the University of Windsor are set to make history as Canada’s first-ever eSports competitors.

Happy Ananum, a mechanical engineering student heading into his second year this fall, and Sudiksha Khanduja, a master’s in computer science graduate this past spring, will represent the Maple Leaf in the inaugural FISU eSports Challenge Football.

“We’re excited that FISU has provided Canada with the opportunity to expand the U SPORTS International Program with an official eSports competition,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS. “This is a perfect opportunity for Canada to participate in the newest FISU event on the calendar, while tapping into a growing market in the sports world.”

The tournament will be played on FIFA 20 for PlayStation 4 and kicks off with the Group Stage from July 6-8, featuring separate competitions for 32 males and 12 females taking part. Ananum was placed in Group B following Thursday’s draw alongside competitors from universities in Mexico, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, while Khanduja is in Group A and will face opponents from universities in Argentina, China, India, Malaysia and South Africa. In all, 44 student-athletes from 26 different countries and 41 different schools from around the world are scheduled to compete. The finals are scheduled for July 16.

“I’m extremely proud that two of our students were selected to represent Canada on the international stage,” said Paul Meister, Coordinator of Lancer Gaming, which is set to officially launch its groundbreaking program this Fall . “Congratulations and good luck to Happy and Sudiksha.”

Selected games will be livestreamed daily on FISU.TV and FISU’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels, all with live English commentary teams at 8 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. PT and 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.