India's nine coaches are set for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh
NODWIN Gaming has confirmed India's full coaching staff for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026, the Saudi-hosted national-team competition running from November 2 to 29 in Riyadh. Nine coaches have been named, one per title, and they will lead the player-selection process across the country before the squad is finalised in mid-May.
The nine names
Rahul "Ayogi" leads the BGMI side. He has worked as analyst, manager and coach with Blind Esports and Team SouL, and his CV includes BGMI Pro Series 2023, BGMI Masters Series Season 3, Chennai Esports Global Championship 2025 and BGIS 2026. Abhishek "GodspeedxD" Bajaj takes Valorant, with prior coaching stints at Reckoning Esports, Bleed Esports, Grayfox Esports and Velocity Esports. Moin "NO_Chanc3" Ejaz is on Dota 2, with over a decade in the competitive scene and a place in the India side that won bronze at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham in 2022.
The remaining six titles round out the staff: Pankaj "KAKA" Upadhyay coaches League of Legends, Pratik "Aurum" Mehra heads PUBG: Battlegrounds, Ashrit "notyAshritB" Goyal takes Rainbow Six Siege, Nirjhar "jocse" Mitra leads Rocket League, Steve "Dale" Vitug runs MOBA Legends 5v5, and Gradyano "Rinnqt" Valendy oversees Honor of Kings.
A first edition with serious scale
The Nations Cup is the Esports Foundation's first attempt at a global national-team competition, with squads from more than 100 countries and territories and over 700 coaches appointed worldwide. With the entire month of November as the competition window, the format leans on group play, eliminations and finals, the way most traditional sports federations stage flagship events.
"The appointment of coaches marks a crucial milestone in India's journey towards the Esports Nations Cup 2026," Nimish Raut, NODWIN's global head of esports partnerships and special projects, said in a statement.
What happens next
The squad is built from open qualifiers. Solo titles and remaining team-based games will run their respective brackets, with the coaches signing off on the final roster ahead of a May 10 submission deadline. The full Indian contingent will be announced in mid-May.
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