"The salaries that the players demand are 3x times more than they actually deserve" VICTORES SUMUS' owner

Amidst a tough season for India organisations, VICTORES SUMUS remains one of the only organisations to have shown a commitment to stick with Counter-Strike. In our conversation with the owner of VICTORES SUMUS, AAmeya Mankar, discusses the team’s journey in M88 Mansion League 2, ESEA S51, the challenges they have faced along the way and what lies ahead.

Here is what Ameya Mankar had to say about VICTORES SUMUS, the road ahead for his organisation and the future of Counter-Strike in India.

Q. What is the first thing that attracted you to the Indian CS ecosystem?

The first thing that attracted many to the Indian CS (Counter-Strike) ecosystem is its passionate and dedicated community.
Despite facing challenges like limited infrastructure and resources in its early days, the scene showcased immense talent. Events like ESL India, Cobex, ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND and the rise of iconic teams like Entity Gaming brought attention to the potential within the region. The blend of raw talent and the unique cultural flavor of Indian gaming made it stand out.

Q. Indian organisations often don't have a lot of life behind them, yet VICTORES SUMUS has stayed dedicated to the scene. What continues to drive your passion for it?

At VICTORES SUMUS we are thriving to build sustainable community, by not only developing players from the grassroot level to developing them on all aspects of gaming like Training , Gears & Infrastructure. We are motivated by the players who want to improve and compete internationally. We have a roster in CS:GO since 10 Years and we are committed to take this even further.

Q. How satisfied are you with the teams recent results in ECL and M88 tournaments? Have you set any goals for the team?

We are proud of the team's performance in recent ECL and M88 tournaments, as the have shown growth and resilience in highly competitive environments. Our team is constantly practicing for 10 hours a day with a dedicated coach. As an org the team has achieved the targets that we had set for our team. We are now confident that this team will perform even better in upcoming season.

Q. How far do you see Indian CS go in the next 2 years? What changes do you think are essential for its growth.

In the next two years, I see Indian CS making significant strides, with more teams competing on international stages and gaining recognition. With the right investments in infrastructure, coaching, and player development, Indian teams have the potential to regularly qualify for major events. However, there are key challenges that need to be addressed for this growth:

• As of now there is only 1 major tournament organiser in India ( Skyesports ) We need more such tournaments organisers to host such events.

• There is more popularity in mobile gaming as it is easily accessible for all, however a good gaming PC costs you much more. Lack of gaming cafe's with high end gaming setups are also not available.

• Providing teams with experienced coaches, analysts, and psychologists to improve overall performance.

• Many organisations in India have shut down due to a lack of sponsorship from brands, making it crucial to create sustainable partnerships and attract investment to keep teams operational.

Q. How would you describe the relationships of organisations and players in India? What are the key responsibilities an organisation should take?

Having been in the scene since 2013, the salaries that the players demand are 3x times more than they actually deserve. This is all because of the orgs which have come into the scene lately are providing higher salary to acquire good players, rather than focusing on developing their skill set, providing them with better infrastructure. One of the main reason for the organisations shutting down is because they do not focus on the business model. They buy players promising them higher salaries and end up not paying them for months.
We follow very basic model and spend more on developing the player. Also we have set realistic goals for our team for the season. We also have long term contract with our players assuring them that they are the part of the organization for coming years.