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India’s first official BGMI tournament, the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) 2021 concluded on 16 January 2021 and was testament to how much Esports has grown in the country. Much to everyone’s excitement and surprise, Skylightz Gaming was crowned the Champion of the prestigious tournament.
Saumya “SaumRaj” Raj, the in-game leader of the BGMI roster of Skylightz Gaming, also cinched two individual trophies – The Rampage Freak and The Lone Ranger in BGIS 2021.
In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’ Debolina Banerjee, SaumRaj talks about his experience in BGIS 2021, PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021, the upcoming Asian Games 2022 and more.
SaumRaj on BGMI, BGIS and more
Q. Tell us about your journey in the Esports world. When did you realize that it can be taken up as a profession? What were you pursuing before?
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SaumRaj: The journey has been consistent so far. I was late in realizing that I can choose Esports as a profession and was quite late when it came to participating in official tournaments.
Before becoming a professional BGMI player, I was planning to secure good marks in my high school board examination.
Q. Every roster is unique because of the quality of each individual player. Tell us more about your roster and the role that each of you play.
SaumRaj: We share the same interests, not just winning, but many other things. The current roster consists of the following people and their respective roles are:
- Saumraj – In-game Leader
- Pukar - Scout/Filter/Assaulter
- Gamlaboy - Entry Fragger
- Ronak - Support
Q. Since BGMI is quite infamous for the number of hackers in-game, did you all ever feel the threat of hackers when you were competing for BGIS, considering that it was an open tournament?
SaumRaj: No, since we were among the invited teams, we did not feel any threat from the hackers. However, Krafton took care of the hackers for the uninvited teams as well.
Q. Being one of the Grand Finalists in the BGIS 2021 is quite an achievement, let alone winning it altogether. What was the overall experience of being part of the biggest BGMI tournament like?
SaumRaj: It was a great experience altogether. It made me more prepared for my next goal.
Q. You not only won The Rampage Freak award, but also picked up The Lone Ranger award in BGIS 2021. What qualities in your gameplay do you think played a role in your massive win?
SaumRaj: I tried really hard and played my natural gameplay and won! I usually do not unleash this side of my gameplay that often.
Q. Winning two individual awards is a great achievement, especially in a tournament of this stature. How many hours did you dedicate towards playing BGMI before participating in major tournaments like these?
SaumRaj: I rarely go to the training grounds to gear up for competitions. I focus more on reading strategies and mastering my own rotations to prepare for major BGMI tournaments.
Q. From Team XO to GodLike Esports, there were quite a few teams that performed well. Which team did you all consider to be your toughest competitor?
SaumRaj: I only consider myself as my greatest competitor (laughs). On a serious note, I considered GodLike Esports as the toughest competitor in the BGIS 2021.
Q. You went on to represent India on a global stage in the PMGC 2021. How was the overall experience? What were the key aspects that you, along with the GodLike Esports roster, learned in the Grand Finals?
SaumRaj: Overall the experience was good and I had a great vacation in Dubai. I don't know what the GodLike Esports roster learned, but I learned not to lose hope at any time.
Q. What are you aiming for now that you have won the biggest BGMI tournament?
SaumRaj: We are planning to perform at the upcoming BGMI tournaments. The main target is to represent India in the Asian Games 2022 and win a medal for the country.
Q. What is your message to the budding gamers who dream of becoming professional players someday?
SaumRaj: Players should dream big. Then they must grind accordingly to achieve their dreams.
