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Akshay "Kappa" Sinkar is one of the most experienced Indian Valorant players. He is currently representing Global Esports, one of the best teams in India.
The Valorant Conquerors Championship will commence on August 20th. Global Esports is one of the teams that will be competing for the title. Kappa and co. defeated Team XO in the Grand Finals of the India Qualifier 2 to qualify for the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event.
In a recent conversation with Rishab Chakladar from Sportskeeda Esports, Global Esports' Kappa discussed the team's plans ahead of the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event. Here is what he said:
Q1. Kappa, first of all, congratulations for qualifying for the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event. You and your team were unbeatable throughout the tournament. How did it feel after making it to the Main Event?
Kappa: It felt great to qualify for such an amazing tournament. We should have qualified in the first qualifier, but not to worry, we are finally on to the next level.
Q2. After losing the first Qualifier to Velocity Gaming, how did the team gather the confidence to bounce back again in the India Qualifiers 2? Can you tell us a bit about the journey over the last one month?
Kappa: We lost the India Qualifier 1 by a 3-1 scoreline. All the maps were very close and we put in a lot of effort but fell short in the end. We probably needed that loss to go stronger for the next win. The loss made us realize our shortcomings and discover our flaws, and strengthen our resolve to be back stronger.
Following the defeat in such an important tournament, we took a break of two days to regain our energy. When we came back, we reviewed the final match once again to see where we fell short.
Then, we discussed the strategy as a team and began practicing with new vigor and enthusiasm.
Q3. From here onwards, the journey will be tougher for Global Esports as you are going to face some of the top teams in South Asia. If you win VCC then you will face the teams from the SEA region in the APAC LCQ. How is the team preparing itself for the upcoming tournaments?
Kappa: We are playing practice matches in front of the same SEA teams that we might face.
Q4. You are one of the most experienced players in the Indian Gaming community. You are currently playing for Global Esports, one of the most renowned organizations in India. How does it feel to represent such a distinguished organization?
Kappa: I have played in a lot of organizations over the span of my career. I would like to say, this is the best organization that I have been connected with. I believe that I can sustain myself here, and this organization is trying to do a lot for the future of Indian esports.
Q5. Let’s shift the focus to CS: GO now. Recently, you played Red Bull Flick - OG Re-unite Event alongside Sagnik “Hellff” Roy. You were the runner-up in the tournament. How did you feel playing the game again after a long time?
Kappa: It was like meeting an old friend after a long while but as if no time had passed at all. Red Bull Flick created new maps for these 2v2 tournaments which I hadn’t played on before, so it was quite interesting to do that. Thank you Red Bull for hosting this event and inviting me to be a part of it.
Q6.The CS: GO scene in India has had a tough time in recent times. Do you think tournaments like Red Bull Flick will boost the scene again in the right direction and help aspiring CS: GO players by giving them a platform to showcase their skills?
Kappa: No. This was a once-in-a-while 2v2 tournament. A single event can’t help in boosting the scene in any direction. We would need continuous and constant engaging of these young minds.
Q7. Since the launch of Valorant last year, the game has gained immense popularity in this short period of time. According to you, what are the reasons behind Valorant’s popularity over other FPS titles across the globe?
Kappa: Valorant gave the best quality and dimension in the pandemic-hit world as not only was it free to play, but also as a competitive game. All FPS players got a fresh start.
Riot Games - the company that created Valorant - made sure that all the bugs, software problems and glitches were solved on a daily basis which gave players less hassle to continue playing competitively.
Riot Games also provided separate servers for the different regions that assisted in fast and smooth gameplay for players.
Q8. According to you, which are the areas the South Asian teams lack in as compared to the teams from the other regions?
Kappa: The teams from South Asia don't get the invitation to play in the SEA region, even though we practice in the same circle. Due to less participation in international level games, our skillset doesn’t get improved.
Q9. Some young players are grinding hard and showcasing a lot of potential in every Valorant tournament in India. In your opinion, who are the players that can emerge as the best in the next few years?
Kappa: I think with the time, patience, and hard work some players like Abhiroop "LightningFast" Choudhury, Prabhdeep "Ghost" Bhatia, Akram "Rawfiul" Virani are putting in, they will be the ones to watch out for in the next few years.
