New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) Hailing the sports ministry's decision to include e-sports medallists and their coaches under its cash incentive program, the ESFI on Wednesday said the move would lead to "exponential rise in grassroots participation".

The ministry has come out with a list of 51 sports that will be eligible for cash rewards, including all those which are part of the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the World University Games roster.

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The list includes sports like mallakhamb, e-sports and kho kho.

This move aligns e-sports with traditional sports, opening doors for millions of gamers to represent India on the global stage, the Esports Federation of India said in a media release.

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"This is a landmark moment for Indian e-sports. The government's recognition of Esports medalists and their coaches with financial incentives is a defining step for our sports," Director of ESFI and VP-Asian Esports Federation Lokesh Suji said.

"India is already a force to reckon with in e-sports, and this initiative will inspire more young talents to compete on the international stage. We foresee an exponential rise in grassroots participation and the development of India's e-sports ecosystem," he added.

The inclusion of coaches for e-sports players in the incentive scheme will foster a whole new ecosystem of structured training and professional development of technical and coaching staff dedicated to e-sports, which currently is a biggest missing link for the country.

Indian e-sports has already made significant strides on the global stage, with players like Wasfi Bilal, Pavan Kampelli, Tirth Mehta, and DOTA2 Team bringing laurels to the country.

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