UWindsor computer science grad Sudiksha Khanduja (MSc 2020) made history by notching the first-ever win for Canada in international university esports.

Khanduja defeated Jasleen Badyal of India 6-0 in the opening round at the inaugural FISU eSports Challenge Football tournament. The 12-player women’s competition was held July 8 to 16 on FIFA 20 for PlayStation 4.

Khanduja failed to advance from the group stage, but said she was honoured to represent Canada.

“It was a great experience,” she said. “I got to learn a lot and meet a lot of new people. It was very informative watching other people play and seeing how they implement all the tactics.”

On the men’s side, second-year UWindsor mechanical engineering student Happy Ananum was held without a win in three matches in the 32-player bracket.

The two UWindsor gamers made Canada proud, said Dick White, interim CEO of U Sports, the national umbrella organization for university athletics.

“They have left a foundational mark in university esports at the FISU level,” he said. “We look forward to building on their debut in the coming years.”

Find more information, including the full tournament results, on the U Sports website.