"I enjoy competing and winning": Chrollo on winning Valorant Red Bull Campus Clutch 2021, his inspirations, and more

The Valorant Red Bull Campus Clutch event is one of the game's premier tournaments for college and university students. The event serves as an opportunity for young gamers to showcase their talents in the world of esports.

Since being introduced over two years ago, Riot Games' flagship tactical first-person shooter has taken the global esports community by storm. As of now, the title has an active community and an ever-increasing number of professionals competing in tournaments.

Sportskeeda Esports reached out to Omar "Chrollo" Hussein, a budding Valorant professional from Egypt. Along with his team, Chrollo won the 2021 edition of Red Bull Campus Clutch. He shared his thoughts about the tournament and how he ventured into the world of esports.

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Chrollo on his introduction to the world of esports and the Valorant professionals he looks up to

Q. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you take up esports as a career? Was Valorant your first choice when entering the esports spectrum?

Chrollo: I loved playing video games when I was young. I got my first PC around 2016 and started casually playing FPS games like Crossfire. I played CS:GO competitively for two years from 2018-19, but never thought of taking up gaming as a career until Valorant Beta was released in April 2020. I started playing the game and noticed a lot of tournaments taking place. That was when I realized I had the chance to make a career out of esports.

Q. Describe your in-game role. If you had to play only one Agent for the rest of your esports career, whom would you choose?

Chrollo: I played as IGL-Controller most of my career, but I would play Jett as it was my first main in the game.

Q. Were your parents supportive of venturing into esports during your time at a university?

Chrollo: Initially, they didn’t like the idea as they saw it as a waste of time. They felt that it was distracting me from my studies. But when they saw I could make a career out of it and study at the same time, they became much more supportive.

Q. How has it been after last year’s win? Did the Red Bull Campus Clutch 2021 trophy influence your career in Valorant esports? How is it going with Team RA’AD?

Chrollo: It's been amazing so far. I enjoy competing and winning so much. I think it did have a lot of influence on my career. It's going really well so far.

Q. What do you think about the new partnership program in Valorant esports? How did you choose to deal with it?

Chrollo: I think it's good for our region as we get more opportunities to participate in the big leagues. As for me, I will participate until I reach bigger tournaments.

Q. What was it like to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime, international event like Red Bull Campus Clutch as part of a group of university students?

Chrollo: It was an amazing experience.

Q. What was it like to participate in the local qualifiers versus the grand finals LAN event last year? How did you and your teammates cope with the pressure? That comeback against Team Portugal was magnificent!

Chrollo: I don't think local qualifiers were that big of a deal, unlike the LAN event. I think we dealt very well with the pressure. Even I will never forget the comeback against Team Portugal.

Q. Any Valorant pro-athlete you look up to? How has he/she influenced you?

Chrollo: I would say ANGE1 and Boaster for the way they keep going and never give up.

Q. Red Bull Campus Clutch 2022 is expected to be bigger and better, with several young talents looking to secure their spot in the Valorant Hall of Fame. Any tips for this year’s participants on how to take on the competition?

Chrollo: I would say take it very seriously. Maintain discipline, accept all situations, and learn to handle pressure.

Q. Valorant esports is heading into a new journey with the VCT 2023 format. How would you motivate a young athlete who is looking to step into the world of esports right now?

Chrollo: Discipline and a good mindset will help you climb the ladder, and of course, a lot of grinding.