巴基斯坦电竞玩家：最年轻百万奖金获得者

Standing on the stage to receive his trophy with his teammates, SumaiL was looking to his left. While everyone else was smiling, he was just standing there, emotionless. His hands were dug deep in his pockets, and his black pillow looked like it’s glued to his neck as he slowly walked up to the trophy.

It was 2015 when the 16-year-old and his team had just won The International 2015 and a US$6.6 million paycheck — but SumaiL looked like he did not care.

Even today, people still consider him “arrogant” and “full of himself” — not only because of his emotionless performance at TI, but also because of his provocative comments and confident attitude. However, that’s exactly why he became the youngest esports millionaire at just 16 years of age.

A born gamer

SumaiL was just 8 years old when his cousin Daniyal Zaidi introduced him to DotA. Back then SumaiL and his family lived in Karachi, Pakistan, where he spent most of his childhood. “Pakistan doesn’t have many resources to fulfil the needs of gaming, though,” Zaidi remembers.

The two cycled over to the nearest cybercafé every day to play DotA. SumaiL quickly realized how good he was at the game. “All that mattered for him was being the best,” Zaidi says. However, one day the young Pakistani boy ran out of money.

“I wanted to play so bad that I sold my bicycle to play for more hours,” SumaiL says. His career continued to grow.

First steps as a professional

At the age of 15, his family moved to Illinois in the United States. Eight people shared a tiny apartment, with SumaiL living in a room with three other family members — but he continued to play incessantly. People started to notice him in pub games and he slowly built a reputation for himself.

“When I first met SumaiL, I knew this kid was going to be big,” said former EG manager Charlie Yang.

There’s something about SumaiL that makes him different from other players. He never doubts himself and is confident in his own abilities. People might consider him arrogant, but it seems like this is his recipe for success. Even when everyone doubted him he kept going — and just a couple of weeks later SumaiL came back even stronger.

The first trophy

At the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2015, the young pro player showed his potential against other top-tier teams such as Secret and Vici Gaming — eventually winning the tournament. His run didn’t end there. In August that year he achieved what seemed to be the impossible — SumaiL won The International in his debut season, at just 16 years of age.

“Fear is the most experienced player and I’ve learned a lot from him. [...] He told me that good players learn from their mistakes and don’t get upset. Instead they practice hard and that’s how you become the best,” SumaiL explained later. “If it wasn’t for Fear, I wouldn’t be here.”

Not a one-hit wonder

Even after winning the most prestigious tournament in the Dota 2 scene, SumaiL has continued to prove that he isn’t just a one-hit wonder. Time has named Syed Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan one of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016 in their annual list. He has consistently achieved top-tier finishes with Evil Geniuses, placing third at The International just one year later and again in 2018.

Now 20 years old, he has already managed to win US$3.3 million in prize money so far in his career.

(SD-Agencies)