S8UL's Soul, B Haunt qualify for Asian Games 2026 in Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6
Synopsis
Two Mumbai-based fighting-game pros just punched India's ticket to Aichi-Nagoya. S8UL's Gurashish Singh (Tekken 8) and Prateek Bhaunt (Street Fighter 6) topped NESC 2026 to make Team India for the Asian Games 2026 — a continental stage where Indian esports is still hunting its first medal.
Key Takeaways
Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) of S8UL Esports qualified for the Asian Games 2026 .
They will represent India in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 respectively after winning NESC 2026 .
The Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan , from 19 September to 4 October 2026 , with 11 esports titles on the programme.
Tekken, Street Fighter and King of Fighters will be clubbed under Competitive Martial Arts as a single medal event.
S8UL is a Club Partner of the Esports Foundation for the second year and has qualified for EWC 2026 in Chess, Fortnite and Honour of Kings.
S8UL's League of Legends team plays regional qualifiers from 12-14 June .
S8UL Esports fighting game stars Gurashish Singh (Soul) and Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) have officially qualified to represent India at the Asian Games 2026 in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 respectively, the organisation confirmed on 3 June. The duo sealed their berths after topping their categories at the National Esports Championships 2026 (NESC 2026) — the official qualification event for Team India's esports contingent.
Road to Aichi-Nagoya
Soul, who earlier wore the Indian jersey at the BRICS Esports Tournament 2025, was crowned national champion in Tekken 8. B Haunt clinched the top spot in Street Fighter 6, completing a fighting-games sweep for the Mumbai-headquartered esports club.
The 19th Asian Games are scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026, with esports featuring 11 titles on the official programme. Notably, the Street Fighter, Tekken and King of Fighters franchises will compete under the Competitive Martial Arts umbrella, counted as a single medal event.
What the players said
“Representing India at the Asian Games is something every athlete dreams of. I've had the opportunity to wear the Indian jersey before at the BRICS Esports Tournament, but qualifying for the Asian Games is on a completely different level,” said Gurashish Singh, crediting S8UL's Fighting Games Talent Hunt Program for coaching access and tournament exposure.
Prateek Bhaunt called the qualification “one of the biggest achievements” of his career. “The Fighting Games Talent Hunt Program gave me an opportunity that very few players in the ecosystem have had access to,” he added.
Why this matters
Esports has rapidly climbed the continental sports ladder — from a demonstration event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games to a full medal sport at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. India's fifth-place finish in League of Legends at Hangzhou set the floor; Aichi-Nagoya is the next test of whether the country can convert participation into podium finishes.
The wider S8UL push
Soul and B Haunt are also part of S8UL's Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign alongside Ansh Arora (Closing Regent), Prince, Mohammad Sameer (AK Arhaan) and Nakul Sharma (Weak Akuma), competing in qualification pathways for Fatal Fury, Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.
S8UL has been named a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation for the second straight year and has already qualified for EWC 2026 in Chess, Fortnite and Honour of Kings.
What's next
S8UL's League of Legends roster — captained by Akshaj Shenoy (Kat Bot) with Aakash Shandilya, Sanindhya Malik, Mihir Ranjan, Ahmed Shahid and Rahul Bisht — heads into the regional qualifiers from 12 to 14 June. Four of them previously represented India at Hangzhou.
“Seeing Soul and B Haunt qualify for the Asian Games is a direct outcome of that effort,” said Animesh Agarwal (8Bit Thug), Co-founder and CEO of S8UL, calling it a milestone for Indian fighting games on the international stage.
Point of View
But qualification is the easy part — Hangzhou's fifth-place LoL finish showed that the medal gap remains real. The S8UL model of stipend-backed, coaching-led talent pipelines is exactly what's been missing in Indian esports, where most players still self-fund. The bigger structural question is whether national federations can match this private investment with formal recognition, training infrastructure and selection transparency. Without that, India risks producing isolated stars rather than a sustained competitive ecosystem.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has qualified to represent India in fighting games at the Asian Games 2026?
S8UL Esports' Gurashish Singh (Soul) will represent India in Tekken 8, while Prateek Bhaunt (B Haunt) will compete in Street Fighter 6 at the Asian Games 2026. Both qualified by winning their respective categories at the National Esports Championships 2026.
When and where will the Asian Games 2026 be held?
The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026. Esports will feature 11 titles at the Games.
How are Tekken, Street Fighter and King of Fighters classified at the Games?
All three franchises will compete under the Competitive Martial Arts category, which is treated as a single medal event. This means fighting-game disciplines share one podium rather than separate medals per title.
What is S8UL's Fighting Games Talent Hunt Program?
It is an S8UL initiative under which six athletes receive professional coaching, fully sponsored domestic and international tournament participation, complete travel support, a monthly stipend, and integration into the organisation's content ecosystem. Both Soul and B Haunt credited the programme for their qualification.
Has Indian esports competed at the Asian Games before?
Yes. Esports debuted as a demonstration event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and was included as a full medal sport at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where India's League of Legends team finished fifth.
