In one of the most heart-warming stories from the world of esports, 73-year-old Yoshie Murabe defeated her equally aged opponent, Sadayuki Kato, in the Tekken 8 finals at the 11th biannual Amigo Club Cup, a tournament specifically for residents of Japanese care homes.
Murabe, a first-time gamer, chose the pink version of Panda simply because she likes the animal. But don’t let the cuteness fool you: she used Panda’s slow but powerful moves to beat Kato’s King in the final match. “I’m happy I won,” she told GameSpark, adding with cool confidence: “I didn’t find anything particularly difficult.”
The event was livestreamed on YouTube and has since gone viral, drawing attention to the Care eSports Association, a group founded in 2019 to bring gaming to the elderly. What began with digital versions of board games has now evolved into full-blown fighting game tournaments, thanks in part to PR rep and pro Tekken player Hama-chan (Rox3Gaming).
Murabe now says she’d love to try other games competitively. If her debut is anything to go by, the senior esports scene just found its new queen.