A pair of student-athletes from the University of Windsor are set to make history as Canada’s first-ever eSports competitors.

Happy Ananum, a mechanical engineering student heading into his second year this fall, and Sudiksha Khanduja, a master’s in computer science graduate this past spring, will wear the maple leaf in the inaugural FISU eSports Challenge Football tournament, kicking off this week.

The tournament will be played on FIFA 20 for PlayStation 4 and features separate male and female competitions representing 26 countries.

Ananum was placed in Group B following Thursday’s draw alongside competitors from universities in Mexico, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Khanduja is in Group A and will face opponents from universities in Argentina, China, India, Malaysia, and South Africa.

“I’m extremely proud that two of our students were selected to represent Canada on the international stage,” said Paul Meister, co-ordinator of Lancer Gaming, which will officially launch its groundbreaking program this fall. “Congratulations and good luck to Happy and Sudiksha.”

The games will be livestreamed daily through the July 16 championship final. Find more information, including a full schedule, at goLancers.ca.