Betway in eSports promotional move

Online gambling operator Betway has pitched West Ham professional football players against one another, coached by top eSports team Ninjas in Pyjamas.

The contest is part of the Betway Esports Challenge and marks the first time a football club and eSports team have collaborated.

As part of the challenge, Hammers stars Javier Hernandez and Michail Antonio went head-to-head in a game of CS:GO, a competitive first-person shooter that is similar to Call of Duty.

Hernandez and Antonio, whose only previous gaming experience was playing FIFA, were taught how to play the game by two of Ninjas in Pyjamas’ star players, GeT_RiGhT and f0rest.

Hosted by BBC presenter OJ Borg, the challenge tested the players’ accuracy, speed and endurance, with the first player to eliminate their opponent 11 times being named the winner.

The Betway Esports Challenge was created by West Ham’s principal sponsors Betway, who have also been the headline sponsor of Ninjas in Pyjamas – known as ‘NiP’ to supporters – since September 2016.

NiP are legends in the world of esports. They have won the IEM Oakland – one of CS:GO’s most prestigious tournaments – two years running and earned almost GBP 2 million in prize money.

CS:GO is one of the leading eSports titles and, like the Premier League, is watched by millions of fans around the world.

After their first eSports experience, Hernandez and Antonio turned the tables on GeT_RiGhT and f0rest by making them battle each other in a football challenge, which will be available to watch on Betway’s YouTube channel on February 26.

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