A COVENTRY teenager who was entered into a gaming tournament in secret by his dad walked away victorious.
Aryan Mahmood, 14, came out on top out of 35 competitors in the EA FC 24 tournament held at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Tahir Mahmood, Aryan’s dad, who is also an avid gamer, secretly entered Aryan into the competition and only told his son two weeks before the tournament.
This was Aryan’s first ever in-person competition, consisting of a World Cup format on EA FC 24’s ‘Kick off’ mode.
Aryan said: “I have been playing EA FC for years alongside my dad and was shocked but excited to find out he has secretly entered me into the competition.
“Leading up to the event, I practised every day and was nervous when I first arrived but by the end, I really enjoyed testing my skills.
“The venue hosted a really good tournament with a strong field of gamers so it feels great to come away with the win.”
David Murray won the senior competition, which consisted of 25 competitors, and Rhys Waterman, a 24-year-old from Coventry was runner-up.
Both the junior and senior competitions were held across 15 PS5 consoles, specially installed in the Arena’s Anecdote Bar.
Rhys said: “As a season ticket holder for the Sky Blues, I am more often found cheering in the stands rather than competing on a virtual pitch.
“The Anecdote bar was completely transformed for the tournament which created a great atmosphere and it was interesting seeing my opponents playing alongside me.
“Although I didn’t win the CBS Arena Cup, it is exciting to see the Arena hosting a diverse array of events for visitors and I am looking forward to the next tournament.”
Alan Diaz, Head of Concessions, at Coventry Building Society Arena said the CBS Arena Cup was a huge success and it is looking forward to hosting more tournaments at the arena.
