In Conversation with a Bangladeshi Professional Gamer Tushar Khan

Nafis Rafsan

Tushar Khan , widely known as Xntric throughout the international gaming scene, is a Bangladeshi professional gamer who has  taken gaming into a whole new different level. Playing professionally since 2005 , he has represented Bangladesh in the competitive e-sports world by competing in various national and international e sports tournaments. He has won over 28 tournaments and has  inspired quite a large number of gamers to hold the banner firmly for Bangladesh in the international gaming scene.

What do you play? What does it mean to you?

I play the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professionally. Well, it means a lot to me because it was a passion for me, I used to play with friends but later on it became competitive when sponsors got involved and I got into a professional team. It’s more professional now since I have to represent my team, my sponsors.

Have you ever gone abroad to compete in international tournaments?

Yes , I went abroad three times with my team Xtreme Lungiz (XL). First time was around 2008. That year, counter-strike 1.6 was introduced in our country.  So I was really excited to represent my country in the field of e-sports because I loved this game so much. I led my team to attend an international tournament in Cologne, Germany. Unfortunately, as I have told you that the game was introduced to us only 3 months before the tournament so even if our performance was not up to the mark , we did gain enough experience which was needed to finally compete in the next year again, which was my second time abroad. This time the tournament was held in Chengdu, China. My team and I along with only a year of experience which we have started to gather since our first international tournament participated and the result was very much impressive. I was really happy with my team’s performance. Since back then Bangladesh was a bit backdated in terms of internet connectivity.  So we didn’t get the chance to practice with any of the foreign teams where else, all other foreign teams played with each other online back then , studying each others’ strategies and making counter plans. We only practiced with national teams. Even though we couldn’t get a proper win I believed we had the potential to excel in terms of our performance. Then in 2010, we went to Goa, India to participate in the LAN tournament but unfortunately , the organizations who organized the tournaments were not up to the mark making it difficult for all international teams to cooperate profoundly but we achieved a landmark for our country by getting our skills acknowledged.

What do your friends and family make of your pro gaming career?

In Bangladesh, it is really hard to call yourself a pro gamer because half the people do not understand what it is but my family have been very supportive as I have not neglected any of my duties towards my family. At the same time I am playing. They have always supported me and trusted me once I have explained it to them that I am competing for my country. It is considered in almost every corner of the globe.

Can you describe the current e-sports scenario in Bangladesh?

The e-sports scenario is rising even though it is advancing at a rather slow pace but I’m really happy that it has not stopped after going a certain distance. It is still moving forward at a steady pace.  I remember back in the early days, people were not used to playing online competitive games with other countries like India , Pakistan or Singapore but now we have lots of opportunities to play outside of Bangladesh with descent internet lines. Although the game-play is not as smooth as other country’s online gaming but we are getting the opportunities to play with other countries. It is getting better than before competition wise. A lot of new players are getting involved each day which is resulting in a stronger tie with other foreign gamers. We are being acknowledged and accepted into the new era of gaming and have reached the international standards which we have longed. Nowadays everyone has internet at their home and everyone gets the news very fast regarding any big competition online or offline. It is not necessarily counter-strike only but other games like Dota2 , fifa , it can be any game and people are communicating through the internet and it is very easy to get in touch with anyone in the world. More and more people are getting to know about e-sports.

Are big companies investing in e-sports in Bangladesh?

There are big companies who are affiliated with e-sports hosting tournaments but not as much as expected. They seem to be a bit scared when it comes to investing in e-sports competitions because they have a very vague idea regarding the competitions as they have not explored in-depth. The big organizations and companies don’t have much knowledge regarding e-sports so they don’t want to invest on it mostly because most of the owners are backdated when it comes to this area. In the future, I’m certain they will start looking into this field because the rise of e-sports in Bangladesh is inevitable. So it is our job to let them know about it and make them realize the fact that it is the next big thing in Bangladesh. It is our responsibility to let them know and give exposure of our community then I think more and more companies will get the encouragement to invest in this competitive scene.

How is your team doing currently?

Yes I’m playing for evolution gaming for the moment and its doing pretty well. We have already won two tournaments this year which has been good start for us this year. My teams are also very highly experienced. They have won quite a number of national tournaments before. They are highly motivated. I’m really satisfied with my team and I am really glad that I have had the opportunity to lead them this far. It feels good when they listen to me and follow my strategy without any question. This only proves the amount of trust they have in me which is the most vital key  to win.

How many tournaments have you won?

I have attended numerous events and have won 28 tournaments not only in counter-strike but also in Dota2 and FarCry3.

Next year, there might be an international tournament in Bangladesh. Are you guys up for the challenge?

Yes of course ! I always look forward to competing against foreign teams representing my country. I believe in my team and I am looking forward to any sort of opportunity, let it be online or offline LAN events. I just want to prove myself and I want to do something for my country so that people from all over the world acknowledge us as gamers who are ready to be taken not lightly. So yes , I am looking forward to any sort of tournament.

Does gaming hamper your studies or job?

It depends on you actually. It wont hamper until you want it to such as giving excuses like I was playing games that’s why I failed but at the same time if you say no I have to play for this number of hours and I have to study up till this number of hours because I have to pass my exams, then its not a problem. Everything is addictive. If you play cricket instead of computer games, you will still be addicted to cricket and waste your time or if you are into gossiping for hours , that is also considered a waste of time so people try to find excuses to avoid studying in one way or another. I don’t think e-sports should be considered a bad thing rather sometimes people try to misuse it by saying I have been gaming so much that I have failed whereas its their decision to study or to play games.

Do you see yourself forging a long career as a professional gamer, or is there an expiry date on how long you can keep this level of skill up?

I need to win international tournaments may it be in South East Asia or anywhere else around the world but that still depends as I am getting older day by day , I have lots of responsibilities towards my family. As much time as I am providing for it, e-sports is not currently giving that much back to me. In that case I cannot take it as a long run thing but I want to be involved in it by being a coach in the future for Bangladeshi teams who needs to be mentored in order to compete internationally..