At the heart of a changing esports landscape, Egyptian Falcons players Hadeel 'Velvet' Abouelftouh and Asmaa 'Names' Thabet are turning heads and opening doors for women in gaming. Their journey reflects passion, perseverance, and a vision for a more inclusive future.
For both competitors, gaming has always been more than entertainment. Velvet says 'It's more about skills and decision making', a strategic depth that fuels her drive to compete at the highest level. Names adds that she was inspired by a belief 'that women can compete as a professional', a conviction cemented when she represented Egypt on the global stage.
Breaking into a male-dominated field came with its share of challenges. Both players admit to initial nerves—Velvet recalls starting with 'shaky hands'. But rather than backing down, they focused on one thing: performance. Names concentrated on 'improving and proving myself in this field', letting her results do the talking.
They also draw inspiration from the growth of women's esports in the Chinese mainland, impressed by strong organizational support and the rising number of female competitors. Cross-cultural friendships with teams like TLG underline the global spirit of esports, from gift exchanges to shared strategies.
Looking beyond their own careers, Velvet and Names are passionate advocates for expanding roles for women across all areas of esports—from player rosters to management, production, content creation, and casting. 'To give them equal access to resources, and also visibility, so they could feel like, okay, I have a chance at this', Velvet urges, highlighting visibility as a key spark for the next generation.
As the Falcons duo continue to rise, their story is more than a personal triumph. It's a call to action for the industry to build pathways that welcome everyone—reminding us that when diversity thrives, esports wins.
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Falcons players Velvet and Names talk forging path in women's esports
cgtn.com
