Two skilled Sim Racers have topped the regional qualifiers of the 3rd annual Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup to earn their spots in the tournament’s regional finals in Jordan in October.
The two veteran Sim Racers, Sultan Khalifa and Salem Al Mesmari, will now travel to Amman, Jordan, on October 13, 2023, to represent the UAE against the best of the best from across the region, facing off against competitors from Jordan, KSA, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen and Tunisia.
Sultan Khalifa is a veteran of the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup, having competed in the last two championships, as well as a former UAE Esports Champion.
“I’m extremely excited to represent the UAE in this regional tournament. Hopefully I will bring home the trophy for the UAE,” said Sultan.
Also a seasoned motorsports enthusiast, Salem Al Mesmari has competed in the EMSO MENA Digital Cup and the UAE Autocross Challenge. “It was a tough competition for the UAE national qualifiers, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to represent the UAE in the finals in Jordan for the third year in a row. Many thanks to the Motorsport Division of Al-Futtaim for supporting us in our ambitions to compete in Esports, and I will do my best to win for the UAE at the finals,” said Salem.
Alaa Tarawneh, Motorsport Manager at Al-Futtaim Toyota & Lexus, said: “Congratulations to Sultan and Salem for qualifying and representing the UAE in this thrilling competition. Al-Futtaim Automotive is deeply committed to developing motorsports talent in the country, which is why it gives us great pleasure to support these young racers in their bid to become the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup winner for 2023. Al-Futtaim’s Motorsport Division is a proud partner of Toyota GAZOO Racing in the UAE, and we look forward to seeing Sultan and Salem compete against the region’s best in the 2023 MENA Esports Cup finals in October.”
With races conducted on the Gran Turismo 7 racing simulator platform, the Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup is an annual event that brings together professional sim racers from across the region for thrilling competitions and showcases the pinnacle of virtual racing talent.
The MENA Esports Cup aims to make motorsport digitally innovative, accessible and inclusive for motorsports enthusiasts from all walks of life. The ever-improving technology of simulators and games emulates motorsports with ever-increasing realism, and through grassroots competitions that create racing champions in Esports, the FIA will provide legitimacy to this new discipline and generate increased engagement in motorsports amongst the world’s youth.
Organised by Desert Fox Racing, the 2023 Toyota GAZOO Racing MENA Esports Cup is officially sponsored by Toyota Motor Corporation, represented by Toyota GAZOO Racing and supervised by Jordan Motorsport as the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) representative.
