International Documentary Covers Pakistani Tekken Champion Arsalan Ash’s Journey To The Glory
From the streets of Lahore to The World Championships of Video Game Tekken in Japan and elsewhere beating the World's Bests, Arsalan Ash's full of odds journey to the glory is maybe the biggest motivation you need right now for your unorthodox career choice.
By Zain Itrat Last updated May 30, 2019
0
Share
If you are born in a middle-class Desi household in Pakistan, the primary or maybe the only career options you are expected to choose by your parents are to become a doctor, engineer or maybe for a change an IT savvy these days. Becoming a sportsman is not even considered a career, rather it is often happening by accident.
You are the failed child according to your family or broader society if your academic career is not very flashy or your first priority and sports are taking the primary importance and if you are considering it as a full-time career option.
Then comes an area one step even further down the pits of shame, which is Arcade gaming or E Gaming. which is only considered a waste of time. In my childhood, I was told by my family you can not and shouldn’t go to arcade games despite all the craze I had for them.
I was told so because apparently ‘only bad children come to these arcade games’, I myself remember being beaten by my family elders for going to video games. I even gathered the courage to give a counter argument in a pun that “those bad children are we who go to these places, so nothing to be worried about” what happened next is history.
So it’s our Desi culture that we simply do not encourage children to pursue what they are fond of, have talent or passion for. We have some ready-made frames and options in which we want every child to fit in, ignoring their individuality and their natural gift or talent bestowed upon them by God.
Einstein once said; ‘You can not judge a fish for its ability to climb the tree’. When we do so we make the fish believe that it is a failure because it can not climb a tree like a monkey.
And we kill its natural ability and gift which is only useful when thrown into the pond i.e. swimming.
Arsalan – the Tekken hero:
The story I have for you is of a boy who was in similar circumstances as mentioned, but what motivates you is he overcame all these odds to reach to the point where he proved all such stereotypical thinking wrong. It is the story of Arsalan Siddiq a.k.an Arsalan Ash.
A Pakistani Video Gamer who was great at playing games and was wandering in the street arcades of Lahore but ended up becoming a world-renowned action fighting game Tekken 7’s World Champion and gave Pakistan a recognition on the Global Tekken Map.
Arsalan has a very interesting journey, he was also told that you are wasting your time and you have no future in it. But he knew he had it in him and he kept on believing in himself and his skill, hard work and passion made him one of the best in Pakistan, which gave him the courage to make a move and go global and make his mark.
He first made global news when he defeated ‘Knee’ the then current world’s best from South Korea at a tournament held in Dubai where he was a guest of honour. And guess what, he didn’t even defeat him but he actually obliterated him with a 3-0 straight.
South Korea and Japan are the rulers of such games and Knee being defeated by a Pakistani young lad sent a ripple worldwide in global Tekken scene who just couldn’t digest that a Pakistani, a region no one even knew existed on the Global Tekken scene, can defeat the world’s best?
Some thought it was a fluke but some others just started keeping an eye on this Pakistani prodigy for more and then came a time when he reached to the Global championship at Japan and slayed all the current and previous world champions in his way to the top and becoming officially world’s best getting the winning shield and prize money for the producer of the game Tekken Katsuhiro Harada himself.
His whole journey is full of obstacles, from not getting the visa to Japan for being a Pakistani, to not getting his Pakistani money converted into Japanese Yens, to spending nights on airports, staying hungry for two days before reaching the final venue late only to conquer it.
Here’s a great short documentary made by an international channel where they dubbed Arsalan ‘The Unknown God Of Tekken’.
Must Watch:
