The Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF) has onboarded EaseMyTrip and Manipal Hospitals as Travel Partner and Health Partner for the inaugural SOG Grandmasters South Zone Finals respectively as the event is scheduled to take place on December 18-19 at Sheraton Grand, Whitefield, Bengaluru.
EaseMyTrip, an online travel tech platform, will facilitate seamless travel arrangements for over 200 players and support staff participating in the South 1 Zonal Finals in Bengaluru.
Manipal Hospitals, a private hospital network, will provide wellness support to participants, highlighting the critical role of health in competitive skill gaming.
On the partnership, Shankar Aggarwal, President, SOGF, said, “We are thrilled to welcome EaseMyTrip and Manipal Hospital as our official partners for travel and health in the inaugural Grandmasters Series South Zonals Finals. At SOGF, we want to create a seamless, rewarding, and equitable experience for all participants. With the support of our new partners, we aim to adopt a comprehensive approach to player health and wellness and are confident in our ability to deliver an event of exceptional quality.”
Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, said, “We’re thrilled to be SOGF’s official travel partner. At EaseMyTrip, our mission is to make travel simple, practical, and affordable for all. Through this partnership, we aim to support the growth of competitive video gaming in India while providing SOGF’s participants, officials, and supporters with seamless travel experiences.”
Karthik Rajagopal, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Manipal Hospitals noted, “We are proud to be the official health partner of the Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF). At Manipal Hospitals, we aim to deliver holistic care for both physical and mental health, while focusing on building a healthier community. Supporting the SOGF, we contribute to the growth of a thriving mind sports hub in India while ensuring the health and well-being of the players, officials, and participants. We wish everyone who is participating to perform at their best and enjoy a long and successful career in mind sports.”
The inaugural SOG Grandmasters Series registrations indicated significant interest across all categories. Over 55,000 players signed up for free online pre-qualifiers of Indian Rummy Grandmasters (IRG) and Indian Chess Masters (ICM), highlighting their increasing popularity as cognitive skill-based mind sports. The top 125 from the total registered players, who played the Online Qualifiers for IRG and ICM will travel to Bangalore for the Zonal finals. In addition, the Chess for the Blind event, organized by the All-India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB) served as pre-qualifiers to the Indian Chess Masters for the Blind (ICMB), from which 16 top players have been shortlisted for the South Zonal Finals.
The South 1 Zonal Finals will be a LAN event with a “phygital” experience, blending physical and digital formats under one roof. The Bengaluru event will be followed by Zonal finals in other zones, with the finalists–two from chess for Men, two from Chess for Women, two from Chess for the Blind, and six from Online Rummy in each zone – competing in the Nationals in April 2025 in New Delhi.
