talabat, a local tech platform, recently launched its first eSports award show, the Great Gamer Awards, in the Gulf region, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.
The initiative concluded with the announcement of the region’s first Great Gamer of the year, Issa Sameer Issa Murad – known by his gamer username, ISSAA – after a four-week campaign to crown the region’s best gamers.
The Great Gamer Awards, hosted by popular gaming host Kayyali, were a success, with a number of eSports enthusiasts being highlighted across various categories. The event’s jury, comprised of Klaus Kajetski, Kemuda, Starfall, BigBird, and Luciano Rahal, chose 26 nominees across five categories, who were then voted on by the public.
Thijs van Dam, Regional Director of Strategic Partnerships at talabat says, “We’re thrilled for each of the winners of the Great Gamer Awards and would like to congratulate them all. Over the past four weeks, we have witnessed thousands of votes pouring in from gamers, casters, and followers across the region to support their favorite nominees. The community’s immense support was truly inspiring. Congratulations to ISSAA for being talabat’s Great Gamer of the year!”
“We’re looking forward to seeing the eSports industry grow in the region and for us to play a significant role in helping to develop it further.” van Dam added.
Five gamers were chosen as winners of the 2022 Great Gamer Awards, and each received the most recent gaming setup (provided by Techxhub) and a talabat Great Gamers trophy. The following are the final winners:
Prior to being named Talabat’s Great Gamer of 2022, ISSAA began his career with CS:GO in 2016, and was quickly scouted to join higher-tier European teams and begin competing on international stages. As of May 2022, ISSAA has moved to Valorant and will compete with YaLLa Esports.
Commenting on the win, ISSAA said: “I can’t thank talabat and my fans enough for their immense support and appreciation of my hard work and achievement. I will keep pushing myself to ensure our region stays at the top, and I greatly look forward to achieving much more in the future.”
A roundtable discussion about eSports in the region was led by special guest Ahmed Al Meghessib and held between the Jury, with interviews conducted with the main event partners, TechXHub and the UAE e-Sport Federation, in addition to the award distribution.