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Sami "SSSami" Ar Rahman of Exceeli Esports is one of the young prodigies of South Asian Valorant esports. After spending months with several Indian teams like Noble Esports (later XTZ Esports) and T69 in 2021, he decided to join the Bangladeshi team Exceeli Esports as their IGL (in-game leader) and is currently playing under their banner. Recently, Exceeli Esports has won the Valorant Conquerors Championship Bangladesh Qualifier and qualified for the main event where they will face the top seven teams of South Asia.
Sportskeeda Esports' Rishab Chakladar contacted him after Exceeli Esports won the Bangladesh Qualifier Grand-finals against M1syl and friends and spoke to them about the team's plan ahead of the main event. Here is what he told us:
SSSami is excited to represent his country for the first time in an International Valorant event:
Q. First of all, congratulations on your qualification for the VCC 2022 main event. How are you guys feeling after getting the opportunity to represent your country in the biggest event in South Asia?
SSSami: We are quite ecstatic after winning the qualifiers as it was our goal to compete internationally and represent our country on the big stage.
Q. Last year you played for T69 and were the semi-finalist of the VCC India Qualifiers 1. This time you will be playing in the main event. How excited are you for the event?
SSSami: This is the first time I'll be playing in the main event so personally, I am hyped because last year I missed out and this time I can finally show my skills in the biggest event.
Q. Your team will face some of the top teams of South Asia in the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event. How confident are you guys as a team to face other top teams of South Asia?
SSSami: We are pretty confident because we have been grinding for some time. Even though we are playing with a stand-in as our 5th player hasn't finalized, we will still give our best to win and we will give a good fight.
Q. What areas do you think Exceeli Esports need to work on ahead of the VCC main event to deliver a better performance in the tournament?
SSSami: Right now, as a team, we need to work on our teamwork and approach the game in a way that will be beneficial for the whole team instead of going for the individual plays.
Q. The top two teams of VCC 2022 will represent the South Asian region in the upcoming APAC Challenger Playoffs this March. How can this opportunity help the region to grow as a whole in the upcoming days?
SSSami: This opportunity will help the South Asian teams gain more experience against the SEA teams and will further improve the teams and the Valorant scene overall.
Q. Which teams do you think can be a threat to you guys in the upcoming event?
SSami: I think Enigma Gaming, Velocity Gaming and Global Esports are the main teams that we see as competition but we cannot leave out the other teams as every team is improving a lot in the scene and we have seen quite a few upsets recently so we cannot take anyone lightly.
Q. Performance of South Asian teams teams against the SEA side is not up to the mark yet. According to you, what is going wrong in the matches against the top SEA teams?
SSSami: From the matches I've seen, I think the main difference is the individual skill. SEA players have cracked aim and movement, which helps them win a lot of rounds that they are not supposed to win.
Q. Any words for your fans?
SSSami: I appreciate everyone that has been supporting me from the beginning and I appreciate you guys for believing in me even though I might not be in the best form. I just want you guys to know I love you and I'll make sure not to disappoint you.
