An Interview With Redbull Campus Clutch 2021 Winners, Team Egypt

One of the prestigious Valorant tournaments, Redbull Campus Clutch, is back again this year, where thousands of young players worldwide fight to represent their country internationally and win the champions title. The tournament gives a platform to university students to step into the professional Valorant scene, and one of the teams which is proof of this is Anubis Gaming from Egypt.

Anubis Gaming won the Redbull Campus Clutch last year, and Shalaby, one of the members, also got a chance to play for Team Vitality after his fantastic performance in the tournament. I got a chance to talk to the players of Team Egypt, Redbull Campus Clutch 2021 Winners, to discuss their life after becoming the champions, the difficulties they faced, and more. 

How does it feel to play in a tournament like Redbull Campus Clutch, and what kind of effect does it have on your day-to-day life?

Ayman "Tuna" Mosaad -  The tournament experience was terrific and we made fans who are students, and they love to play Valorant. This year a lot of students signed up for the tournament, as they got to know the potential from it after our success.

Omar "chrollo" Hussein - We also didn't think about the potential of how big will it be when we first signed up, but after seeing that we got the opportunity to play on the stage, that affects everyone, which can be a motivating factor, and this year, we can see a lot of teams who didn't sign up last year participating in this year's Campus Clutch. 

How does it feel when someone recognizes you while you represent your Institution and country?

Mohamed "shalaby" Shalaby - It feels amazing to play for your country more than anything else because the emotions and bonds you have when you play for your country are bigger than representing an institution or any organization. It is quite exciting and fun.

Tuna - When fans recognize us when we go out or to an event is actually a fun, and surreal feeling, and I do appreciate it a lot.

Most players' end goal is to play for top teams in the Global VCT circuit. How much does a tournament like Redbull Campus Clutch help to contribute to the growth of their career?

Shalaby - Like you said, everyone has the same goal to play in the big leagues and the tier-one events. Events like Redbull Campus Clutch help to bring a lot of eyes to you as you play on the International Stage. Everybody wants to see how you perform in a LAN event.

You were the Champions last year, and Valorant Esports is growing overall; how much difference do you see in the competition among the teams compared to the previous year?

Chrollo - Definitely, I think this year the skill gap will be lesser compared to last year, as more teams have registered, which means essentially more skilled players will be there, and the competition will be more aggressive than last year.

Tuna -  This year, we have already seen a lot of teams practicing beforehand, which surely indicates the competition will be very difficult as compared to last year.

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How tiring is it to perform in the event as you need to study, then keep the practice going, and along with that, there is pressure to win and keep performing well?

Shalaby - When we are in the event, we don't think about anything but the event. When we went to Madrid as well, it was a tiring event, and we didn't feel tired until we were back home. Because in the event our focus was winning and you cannot take any other factors to take away your focus from the game.

Tuna - Even when we were losing 2-0 in finals, we didn't feel like we lost already; you don't feel anything unless it's over, surely when it's over, and you lost, you are gonna feel so bad and down, and if you win you are not gonna feel anything until it's over.

Keeping the new VCT format in mind, what are your suggestions for students who want to start their journey in the professional Valorant circuit? 

Chrollo - For students who are just starting, we would suggest they perform in the lower leagues, such as the VRL or the Ascension Leagues, which will help them to be recognized for the partnered teams.

How did you guys decide to make your career in Valorant, as it is not easy to balance a professional player life and student life simultaneously? Did you guys face any failure throughout the process, and how did you overcome it?

Shalaby - Yeah, at some point, you need to make up your mind whether you need to focus on studying or competing because it is really difficult to keep a schedule of a professional athlete while studying as you won't be completing both tasks efficiently. 

Do you guys have anything to say for your fans, family, or friends who supported you through your journey?

Tuna - I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout our journey, and I hope whoever wins from Egypt this time try to defend the Title and bring the trophy back home.

Before we wrap up,  what are your future goals?

Tuna- I just want to become better and keep proving my worth in the team

If you want to know more about Team Egypt, you can have a look at the documentary on them released by Red Bull Gaming on YouTube below.

For more on the game, please make sure to check our section dedicated to Valorant interviews, guides, news, tips, and more.

Featured image courtesy of Red Bull.