Cirtual action, real thrills , a surreal target

CHENNAI: Passion for gaming surpasses almost everything else for Omkar Urunkar, a Pune-based Dota 2 player. “Gaming is everything to me. I get to escape into the virtual world, which, in my opinion, is not different from the real world — in fact, you have to apply your mind more in the former,” he smiles. The 25-year-old professional Dota 2 player says that his introduction to the world of gaming was very different. “As a kid I always liked playing computer games. When I was introduced to Dota I was fascinated by the graphics and the idea behind it. Since then I have been trying to be at the top of my game.”

What really pulls him to gaming, every time? “We make friends, form a community, and even have the opportunity to even make money through this pursuit, says Omkar, adding “I see it as a channel to do things that are not quite possible in the real world, say fight your enemies and destroy them. It gives me a sense of achievement and pride. It also gives me immense satisfaction.”

It has been eight years since he started gaming and does not plan to stop before he is able to outdo every other professional gamer in the country; till he becomes ‘the’ gamer. “I started from the bottom of the pyramid, and it took me a while to reach where I am right now...and I still have a long way to go. There are a lot of gamers out there who I know are better than me...you gotta admit, this world is competitive.” However, Omkar admits that it is this factor that attracts him the most. “I don’t see competition as a challenge, I see competition as an opportunity...and that makes all the difference, whether in life or in video games,” he chuckles.

When it comes to winnng tournaments, Omkar does not disappoint. He has participated and won laurels at many tournamnets, the recent one being the Mountain Dew Arena 2017. Talking about his gaming idol, he says till now his favourite is Lil from Team Virtus Pro. “This gamer is inspiring because he is able to deliver a killing in his game despite not following a strict practice schedule.

I am also like him — I practice whenever I get the time and do not take a lot of stress,” he avers.  Besides gaming, Omkar likes to solve puzzles and about his future endeavours, says, “Currently, I am looking out for a stable performing roster and sponsorships of sorts to help me set up our gaming house where my team and I  can practice and cross swords with some of the prominent names in the gaming world.”
He adds, “That is what my focus is on, forming and leading a team which can one day be a tier 1 team...it sounds surreal now even to me, but I am sure we will make it.”