Women’s Esports Finals Champions Crowned, Secure Professional Contracts

Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa have been crowned as the champions of the Sky Broadband Women's Esports Finals, competing in the Racers Eseries and Football Eseries, respectively. The winners not only earned themselves a share of the £50,000 prize fund, but also professional contracts — making it the first women’s esports tournament to award professional contracts as well as cash prizes.

Following her victory in the Football Eseries, Musa said, "It feels crazy to be the Football Eseries champion, it doesn’t feel real. It was amazing to have that many women come out and showcase their talent at Sky. I’m looking forward to the support that Guild Esports and Gaming can offer. Hopefully I can work with their coaches, compete in more tournaments and show more representation as a person of colour as it’s really hard to enter the space."

The tournament was created by Sky Broadband in collaboration with Guild Esports and Gaming with the aim to promote diversity and inclusion in gaming, following research that revealed that just 5% of professional gamers are women.

The tournament took place at Sky's headquarters in London, and was livestreamed on both Sky Sports and Guild Esports' Youtube channel. Both Lajal and Musa will receive access to top-class facilities as part of their pro contracts, connecting them with other professional gamers and sponsors. Both winners will also receive support from experts, mentors, and coaching in order to continue their professional gaming career.

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On winning the Racers Eseries, Lajal said, "I am so happy, and also surprised! I definitely didn’t know what I was getting myself into! I would have never thought I could participate in a race like this if it wasn’t for this event. I’m so excited about finding a new hobby where I can constantly improve at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre. Today went really well, but I know there’s so much more to come."

Alongside their professional contracts and share of the £50,000 prize pool, both winners also earned free Sky Broadband for 24 months.