Behind every player who gathers in a massive competitive event like Pokémon Worlds 2023 there are all kinds of stories. As we told you last week, many Latin Americans were present at the most important Pokémon tournaments in the world and although it would be physically impossible to get close to talking to all of them, we follow the case of one of our main representatives in Pokémon GO.
He is Victor Rioja, he has been playing since 2016 Pokémon GO, lives in the Tláhuac mayor’s office in Mexico City and owns a travel agency. In a short interview, he told us that it was a pleasant surprise for him that a game like the Pokémon mobile title developed by Niantic would take him so far.
Champion in his first official tournament
The Mexican Víctor Rioja told us that the Pokémon GO Qualifying Tournament in Mexico City 2023 was the first official competitive event in which he participated in his life.
The Mexico qualifier was the first one I participated in. I did not participate in the previous one because I did not reach. So you could say I have a win rate of 100 [risas].
It was a surprise, because we all came with the intention of winning, but I know that there are very good players, many even better known than me obviously. Last year’s champion was competing and several from other countries. I said: ‘well, we’re going to play a good role, let’s see what comes out’. I didn’t expect him to win it, but it’s good that he did.
Being a surprise victory, Victor Rioja was very excited to be able to come to Japan to compete:
The emotion was super! Imagine just thinking that a game could take me this far. What you are passionate about can take you so far.
The participation of Mexico and Latin America in the Pokémon GO World Cup
Although Víctor Rioja did not qualify for the finals to be played this Sunday, he considers that he did a good job, and it was another Latin American who eliminated him in the tournament:
In the competition I started in the second round. I was waiting for the winner of a previous round. In fact, the previous round was made up of last year’s world champion. I expected him to win but no, her opponent won and then I faced her and I was able to win. I advanced to the semifinal and I was eliminated by the Chilean who is now ahead.
He sent me tolosers bracket’ and there they also eliminated me. But well, I feel that we did a good job.
The The story of the Chilean known by his pseudonym as ‘ElCheasdad’ is interesting, since he managed to finish fourth in the World Cup after beating the Mexican Victor Rioja. The curious detail is that the native of Chile had an error in his registration that caused him a penalty in which he chose to participate only with 5 Pokémon –instead of the regulatory 6– instead of receiving an automatic defeat.
Playing the world cup in Japan
Victor Rioja also gave us his opinion regarding the Yokohama 2023 Pokémon World Cup:
The organization seems very good to me, everything is very efficient. Right now in the competition I have been with my friends, I have made new friends, we already went out to tour a little. It’s a super cool experience.
Just yesterday I was watching the show drones and impresses me It strikes me how creative, how imaginative the Japanese are.
Finally, the Mexican regional champion told us that this experience motivates him to continue playing Pokémon GO to seek his qualification for the World Cup next year.
In all the tournaments in Mexico I will try to be present. I’m even looking at the possibility of going to other countries to compete. We were seeing that it could be in Barcelona, also going to some of the [torneos] that are made in the United States.
This is the Victor Rioja’s advice to other Pokémon GO players in Latin America.
Follow your dreams, always try to keep improving. If you do something, do it with passion. Always, despite this, when people say that maybe a game like this is not going to get you anywhere, don’t pay attention to them. You continue, try to surround yourself with people who have a common interest and it will take you very far.
2023-08-13 05:01:04
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