Achievement unlocked: college e-sports tourney kicks off in Wuxi

The Jiangsu regional competition of CUEL kicks off in Wuxi on June 8. The tournament will last for one year with an estimated 10,000 gamers taking part. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

College students compelled by the realm of e-sports will soon have a stage to showcase their gaming techniques and strategies, with the country's General Administration of Sport launching CUEL, a national college e-sports tournament, which will run for one year.

The tournament's regional Jiangsu province competition got underway in Wuxi on June 8, attracting an estimated 10,000 gamers to play popular titles such as Dota 2, League of Legends, FIFA 3 online, Hearthstone and Overwatch.

The regional competition will run from September to June next year and is divided into three stages - an autumn season, spring season and a grand final.

The event not only provides a platform for the young e-sports enthusiasts, but also those wishing to engage in the industry as event organizers, managers, hosts and commentators.

The e-sports industry is a massive emerging market, becoming increasingly popular in recent years.

Wuxi is one of China's top cities for e-sports, to date hosting four international competitions, nine provincial level contests and more than 20 on the municipal level. Three of the top 10 domestic e-sports clubs have investors from Wuxi, including the notable LGD club. Annually, an average of 7,000 gamers take part in various e-sports competitions held in the city.