Tribe of e-sports players is burgeoning as games become real career option

They also provide an identity and a sense of belonging

Sultana is not her real name, but it is the one she identifies with. She came to Delhi four years ago from Ernakulam, Kerala, escaping from her parents’ pressure to “settle down”.

“I came to Delhi for a tournament and never left. My winnings got me into a PG (paying guest accommodation) and helped me earn a diploma in public relations,” she says.
 

Sultana now lives in South Delhi and works in advertising. And she writes Sultana as $ult4n4. It is her e-sport alter ego. The tournament for which she came to Delhi was an e-sport event.
 

Since then, she