In a major stride for the Indian esports sector, the Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF) has been officially inducted as a member of both the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the International Esports Federation (IESF). This milestone permits SOGF to represent India on these international esports platforms, superseding the Electronic Sports Federation of India (ESFI).
Through this membership, SOGF gains the authority to co-organize international esports tournaments alongside GEF and IESF, unlocking extensive global exposure and opportunities for India’s up-and-coming esports talent.
Adv Nandan Jha (Founder of SOGF) becomes senior advisor of Global Esports Federation
In a related announcement, Advocate Nandan Jha, who is the founder and advisor of SOGF as well as the International President of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), has been named Senior Advisor to the Global Esports Federation. This appointment was declared during the recent GEF Board Meeting attended by key international esports leaders and sports officials.
Membership benefits with IESF and GEF include eligibility to compete in elite global tournaments like the World Esports Championship, fostering the growth of esports infrastructure and talent within India, integration into one of the world’s largest esports communities, assistance in securing official governmental recognition for esports, and access to valuable resources for training, technical support, and event management.
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As a rapidly expanding force in India’s mind sports and esports landscape, SOGF launched the country’s inaugural Online Skill Games and Esports Olympiad in February 2024, an event endorsed by the then Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur. The federation’s efforts align with India’s New Sports Policy, which sets standards requiring Indian sports federations to be officially acknowledged by relevant international bodies and maintain a wide presence across Indian states to qualify as National Sports Federations.
In 2025, SOGF further advanced esports recognition by hosting the Esports National Championship, gathering top emerging gamers nationwide. Esteemed chess Grandmaster Koneru Humpy served as the event’s Brand Ambassador, highlighting the strategic and intellectual aspects of esports while bridging traditional and modern competitive sports. The championship featured zonal competitions across different regions of India, each graced by prominent figures from the sports and government sectors, underlining the growing acceptance and prominence of esports as a mainstream competitive discipline.
