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News18
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
In Riyadh For Esports World Cup? Check Out This Ultimate Food Guide
Ahead of the EWC in Riyadh, here's the ultimate foodie guide to experience the best that the city has to offer in terms of cuisine, and culture. As Riyadh hosts the Esports World Cup, the city is buzzing with excitement. Gamers, fans, and visitors are arriving from around the world, and while all eyes are on the games, there's something else that's just as exciting – the food. Across the city, from bustling food halls to serene fine dining spaces, Riyadh offers an unforgettable culinary experience. Local classics are getting a fresh twist, global names are leaving their imprint, and hidden neighbourhood gems are winning over those craving something unexpected. Whether you are in between matches or out for a celebratory evening, this is your guide to the best places to eat in Riyadh while the games unfold. Where To Taste Traditional Saudi Food In Riyadh? To truly explore the region's roots through food, head to two of Riyadh's most beloved Saudi restaurants, each presenting a distinct interpretation of local culinary heritage. At Suhail, traditional Saudi recipes are refined with modern precision. Dishes like Hijazi mabshor (a grilled lamb dish served with yoghurt) or lamb kabsah (spiced rice with slow-cooked meat) are served with the finesse of fine dining. The atmosphere is refined, the plating elegant, and the ingredients, such as dried limes, dates, and fragrant spices, remain true to their traditional essence. By contrast, Najd Village is all about warmth and nostalgia. Here, meals are shared cross-legged on floor cushions, just as they have been in Saudi homes for generations. The décor leans rustic, and the setting is intimate. Dishes like jareesh, qursan and matazeez arrive in generous, hearty portions, cooked slowly and with care. Among the standouts is chi SPACCA, the Los Angeles steakhouse from Nancy Silverton, famous for bold, fire-grilled meats and unapologetic rustic charm. For a dash of Paris, head to Les Deux Magots, a famed Saint-Germain café, where French classics are served with elegance and ease. Gymkhana presents a different kind of decadence. For vegetarians, there are plenty of delicious options that feel just like home. One of the restaurant's two tasting menus is completely vegetarian, offering a variety of rich and flavourful dishes in every course. You can start with crisp gol guppas filled with jaljeera and sprouted moong, followed by tasty samosa chaat and chana masala. For the main course, enjoy favourites like paneer tikka, tandoori broccoli, or a fragrant biryani made with gucchi mushrooms and truffle. Prefer something more laid-back? Head to Over Under, a London café serving speciality coffee, brunch plates and mocktails. Apart from the delicious food, ELLE Café charms with its pastel interiors and Instagram-worthy vibe, perfect for a laid-back afternoon break. Where To Head For Touristy Activities In Riyadh? For those who prefer to stay in the thick of the action, Boulevard City is a one-stop culinary hub. With restaurants nestled right in the heart of the Esports zone, you're never too far from your next bite. Kabana serves comforting Afghan fusion dishes with a Mediterranean twist, perfect for a satisfying meal between matches and for those looking for authentic Middle Eastern flavours, Al Nakheel is the place to be. Pressed for time? Shake Shack never fails with its fast and familiar burgers and fries. If you want to keep things light but energising, Poke Bar's poke bowls and their signature Berry and Banana Acai are just the pick-me-up you need. And here's the best part: with cafés and kiosks like ½ Million and Coic Lounge dotted throughout the gaming zones, grabbing a snack or a drink is effortless and never out of reach. Still Looking For Something More? Located inside Riyadh's iconic Kingdom Centre Tower, Al Mamlaka Social Dining is a modern take on the food hall concept. Here, you can sample dishes from over 20 local and international brands all under one roof, perfect for groups with varied tastes. You'll find Nozomi serving sushi and contemporary Japanese plates, La Rustica firing pizzas from wood ovens, and Assembly, putting a modern spin on Middle Eastern comfort food. For non-alcoholic drinks with flair, Blended by Lyre's mixes up inventive spritzes and concoctions like no other. Round things off with something sweet from Floozie Cookies or a slice of layered cake from Hanoverian, the German patisserie brand that's already a hit in Riyadh. After your meal, head to the Sky Bridge on the 99th floor for panoramic views of Riyadh. It's especially striking at sunset, and a perfect way to cap off your visit. The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health, fashion, travel, food, and culture — with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : food lifestyle Riyadh Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 16:00 IST
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Chess infrastructure gets major push to elevate competitive set-up through esports ecosystem
With the ever-growing popularity of chess and esports, the best of both worlds come together to develop chess infrastructure and push chess as an esports in the country. For this, Nodwin Gaming has partnered with and ChessBase India to collaborate on competitive chess development in India. The partnership brings together three organisations involved in esports production, online chess platforms, and grassroots community engagement. Under this arrangement, Nodwin Gaming will oversee production, broadcasting, and commercial planning. ChessBase India will contribute its network within the Indian chess community, while will provide platform support, tournament infrastructure, and creator tools. The partnership is aimed at focusing on creating new tournament formats, community events, and content initiatives aimed at expanding participation and viewership. This comes on the back of chess' inclusion in the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC), where multiple Indian stars have signed contracts with Esports organisations. Arjun Erigaisi was among the first few players in the world to sign such a contract. He signed the deal with Gen.G. Earlier, Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram also signed contracts with the Indian Esports organisation S8UL. At the time of writing, from India, only Arjun has confirmed his qualification in the EWC. Nihal and Aravindh participated in the qualifiers but failed to book their spot for the mega showdown in Riyadh. Aravindh participated in the first tier of 'Last Chance Qualifier' (LCQ) and can still participate in EWC through this. The Esports World Cup will be an event where the world's biggest esports clubs compete across 24 of the most popular esports titles. For the first time, the World Cup will also feature chess, which will be played online. The first edition of the Esports World Cup was held in 2024 and saw teams compete over eight weeks. The Esports World Cup 2025 is set to be the largest multi-title esports event in history which is expected to have at least 2,000 players and 200 teams competing for a combined prize pool of $70 million (approx. Rs 602 crore).
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Indian sports wrap, June 19: S8UL seals grand final spots in three titles of Esports World Cup
ESPORTS S8UL qualifies for grand finals in three titles at Esports World Cup 2025 Indian esports organisation S8UL has officially qualified for the grand finals of Apex Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), and EAFC 25 at the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Featuring a record-breaking prize pool of USD 70 million (approx. INR 598 crore), the EWC 2025 will be one of the biggest esports events in history. S8UL's Apex Legends squad, featuring Rick Wirth (Sharky), Benjamin Spaseski (Jesko), and Tom Canty (Legacy), qualified for the EWC 2025 through the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2025: Split 1 Pro League for APAC South. Competing in a challenging triple round-robin format against 30 of the best teams from the region, the squad clinched its EWC spot by finishing in the top five with 109 points. The all-Australian line-up has a strong competitive track record, having competed at the inaugural EWC and several ALGS Championships, with team captain Sharky notably winning the ALGS Championship in 2022. The team now advances to the ALGS Midseason Playoffs, set to take place at the EWC from July 10 to 13, where 40 of the world's best teams will compete for a $2 million (INR 17.2 crore) prize pool. S8UL will also be representing India in EAFC 25 through Germany's Jonas Wirth (Jonny), who secured his spot by finishing in the top four of the Virtual Bundesliga 2024–25. After winning three of his four group stage matches, Jonny advanced to the playoffs, where he dominated the round of 16 and quarterfinals before narrowly missing out in the semifinals. A seasoned veteran, Jonny was the champion of both the Virtual Bundesliga and the eChampions League last year. He will now compete in the FC Pro 25 World Championship at the EWC from August 7 to 10, where 32 of the world's top players will battle for a $1.5 million (INR 12.5 crore) prize pool. Meanwhile, S8UL's Aaron Rivera (Happy) qualified for the FC Pro 25 Play-Ins following a dominant run in the LATAM North region, where he won three consecutive FC Pro 25 Open Cups. He will compete against 47 other top players for the four remaining spots at the EWC. S8UL's MLBB roster qualified for the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) at EWC 2025 after a commanding victory in the NACT Spring Season. The team, featuring Michael Cosgun (MobaZane), Ian Hohl (FwydChickn), Jang Seong-hun (Hoon), Ziameth-Jei Caluya (ZIA), Vo Trung (Shark), and Carlos Ortega Vega (Bestplayer1), was dominant throughout the tournament, defeating Area 77 with a 4–2 scoreline in the grand finals to secure their berth. BOXING 640 boxers to compete in Junior Boys and Girls' Nationals in Rohtak Both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls competitions at the sixth U-17 National Championships will feature 13 weight categories each. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Around 640 up-and-coming pugilists from across the country, including 350 boys and 290 girls, will face off in the sixth Junior (Under-17) Boys and Girls National Championships at the National Boxing Academy in Rohtak, Haryana, between June 19-26. Both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls competitions will feature 13 weight categories each, ranging from 44-46 kg to 80+ kg. The Services Sports Control Board will look to defend its title from the fifth Boys' Nationals, while Haryana enters as the defending champion in the Girls' category. 'The Junior National Championship is a crucial platform for young boxers to showcase their skills in front of national selectors and coaches. It plays a key role in helping BFI identify and nurture future talent. I am happy to see strong participation from all teams as we look to discover the next generation of Indian boxing stars. Many of these young boxers will represent India in the 2032 and 2036 Olympic Games, and therefore, this championship is of great importance,' said Ajay Singh, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president-chairperson, Interim Committee. 'This championship also comes before the Asian Youth Games in October this year, where, for the first time, boxing has been included. The winners from here will go on to represent India at these Asian Games, where 14 medals will be up for grabs. With robust systems already in place, BFI is committed to supporting these young athletes in realising their full potential,' he added. The gold and silver medallists of the REC Combined Talent Hunt (Junior Boys and Girls) held in October 2024 would be eligible to participate in the National Championships under the REC banner, provided they fulfil the eligibility criteria of being born between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. The championships will be conducted as per the World Boxing Technical & Competitions Rules, wherein each bout will consist of three rounds of two minutes each, with a minute's rest in between. A ten-points-must scoring system shall be followed. -Team Sportstar ARCHERY Indian junior archers enter three finals at Asia Cup Stage 2 The Indian junior archers continued their dominating run by storming into three team finals at the Asia Cup Stage 2 in Singapore on Thursday. The Indian men's recurve team, seeded second, defeated fifth-seeded Bangladesh 5-1 in a one-sided semifinal to set up a summit clash with third seeds Japan. The trio of Vishnu Choudhary, Paras Hooda and Juyel Sarkar dominated from the outset, taking the opening set 55-48. Although the second set was tied at 55-55, the Indians bounced back strongly, dropping just one point in the third set to win it 59-56 and seal the issue. In the recurve mixed team event, Vaishnavi Pawar and Vishnu Choudhary defeated Singapore's Tabitha Ern Lin Yeo and Yue Long Li 5-3 to enter the final. The Indian pair won the first set 37-35, tied the second 37-all, and lost the third 36-38 to make it 3-3. But Pawar and Choudhary held their nerves to close out the match with a commanding 38-34 win in the final set. India also assured itself of a medal in the compound men's team event after the trio of Kushal Dalal, Ganesh Thirumuru, and Mihir Apar edged past fifth-seeded Australia in a tense semifinal decided by a shoot-off (30-29) after both teams were tied at 232 after four sets. India will take on Kazakhstan in the final. The top-seeded Indian compound women's team, comprising Shanmukhi Budde, Tejal Salve, and Tanishka Thokal, defeated fourth-seeded Kazakhstan 230-229 in a nail-biting semifinal to ensure another medal. They will meet Malaysia in the final. The top-seeded Indian compound mixed team pairing of Shanmukhi and Kushal also confirmed another medal by defeating Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Ashrifah and Prima Wisnu Wardhana 155-154 in a nail-biting semifinal. They will face third-seeded Kazakhstan in the final. However, there was heartbreak for the Indian women's recurve team. Seeded fifth, the troika of Vaishnavi Pawar, Kirti, and Tamanna lost a thrilling quarterfinal to fourth seeds Japan 4-5 (26-28) in the shoot-off after a five-set battle. They lost the opening set 47-49 and slumped further after managing only 34 in the second set to Japan's 55. But the Indians showed great resilience to take the third set 55-53 and level the scores 4-4 after claiming the fourth set 54-52. In the shoot-off, Japan edged ahead by just two points. Indian archers are also in the hunt for four individual medals on the concluding day on Friday. The women's compound final will be an all-Indian affair, with Shanmukhi set to face Tejal for gold. In the men's compound section, India will be in the hunt in both the gold and bronze medal matches. Kushal will face Joshua Mahon of Australia for the gold, while Sachin Chechi will take on Himu Bachhar of Bangladesh for bronze. -PTI Related Topics Boxing Federation of India
News18
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Cristiano Ronaldo Named Global Ambassador For Upcoming 2025 Esports World Cup
Last Updated: The Esports World Cup 2025 will feature 2,000 players from over 100 countries, competing for a $70+ million prize pool. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced that Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). The 2025 edition of the Esports World Cup is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 8 to 21. 'Sport is always evolving – and esports is one more frontier," said Ronaldo in a statement from EWC. 'The commitment, drive, talent, and intensity I have been able to see in esports athletes is no different from what I've experienced on the pitch. I'm proud to stand alongside these competitors and be part of a global event that's inspiring a new generation." 'I'm proud to join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassador – standing with esports athletes who rise above and inspire the next generation," Ronaldo wrote on X. I'm proud to join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassador – standing with esports athletes who rise above and inspire the next generation. @EWC_EN #AD — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 13, 2025 'Cristiano Ronaldo connects generations — from lifelong football fans to today's emerging competitors," said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. 'We're humbled to have the greatest of all time stand with us in this moment for esports." Ronaldo has already played a formative role in the evolution of the Esports World Cup. He participated in the global announcement of the creation of EWC in 2023 and attended last summer's Closing Ceremony in Riyadh, where he celebrated Team Falcons' historic Club Championship win. As Global Ambassador, Ronaldo will headline the tournament's global campaign leading up to and throughout the seven-week competition and festival in Riyadh. He also stars as a playable character in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, one of the 25 tournament titles in this year's Esports World Cup games lineup. The EWC 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Cristiano Ronaldo joins Esports World Cup as global ambassador
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Friday that he will join the Esports World Cup as its Global Ambassador. The Portugal footballer took to social media to share the information. 'I'm proud to join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassador - standing with esports athletes who rise above and inspire the next generation.' The 2025 edition of the Esports World Cup is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 8 to 21. I'm proud to join the Esports World Cup as Global Ambassador - standing with esports athletes who rise above and inspire the next generation.@EWC_EN# — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 13, 2025 Ronaldo's involvement in Esports is not new. He previously served as an ambassador for Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer and has also backed the Japanese football game UFL, which launched late last year. In March 2025, he also announced that he will be a playable character in the popular Japanese fighting game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, one among the titles featured at the World Cup. Ronaldo, 40, was part of the Portugal squad which won the UEFA Nations League — the forward scored in the final against Spain. He is currently playing club football in Saudi Arabia with first-division side Al Nassr.
