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Bilal’s viral post sparks debate as Atif Butt, Arslan Ash progress in Esports World Cup Tekken 8

  • Web Desk
  • 4 hours ago
  • 2 min read

In a dramatic turn at the Esports World Cup Tekken 8 tournament, Pakistani player Bilal Ilyas sparked online discussion after sharing a deeply personal Instagram story following his elimination in Phase 1.


Arslan Ash celebrates win

“Pakistani Tekken players were happy reading comments until Pakistani cricket fans got to know about Tekken and us. Now if we win, we’re perfect, if we lose, they want us to die. Please go back and watch cricket,” Bilal wrote.



























The post quickly went viral, shedding light on the intense criticism and pressure faced by esports athletes in Pakistan—especially with growing national attention on competitive gaming.


Atif vs Bilal shake off

Despite Bilal’s early exit, Pakistan’s Tekken scene still had cause for hope. Arslan Ash and Atif Butt, two of the country's most celebrated players, successfully progressed to the Round of 16, keeping Pakistan in contention for the global crown.


Pakistan’s Tekken 8 results – Phase 1 recap

Group A: Atif Butt & Bilal Ilyas

  • Atif beat Bilal 2-0 in the opening match.

  • Atif lost to EDGE (0-2) in the Winners’ Match.

  • In the Decider, Atif defeated Bilal again 2-0 to qualify.

  • Bilal had earlier eliminated Meo-IL (2-1) to reach the decider.

Qualified: Atif Butt


Group B: Farzeen

  • Lost opener to Mangja (0-2).

  • Beat Ilias (2-1) in the eliminator.

  • Lost decider again to Mangja (0-2).

Eliminated


Group C: Arslan Ash & Qasim Meer

  • Arslan lost to Jeondding (1-2).

  • Beat Qasim (2-0) in elimination.

  • Defeated Tekken Master (2-0) in decider.

Qualified: Arslan Ash

Qasim Eliminated


Group H: Hafiz Tanveer & Numan Ch

  • Numan beat Hafiz Tanveer (2-1).

  • Lost to Mulgold (1-2) in Winner’s Match.

  • In lower bracket, Hafiz lost to Chikurin (1-2); Numan lost (0-2).

Both Eliminated


Phase 1 summary

Group

🇵🇰 Players

Qualified

A

Atif Butt, Bilal Ilyas

✅ Atif Butt

B

Farzeen

❌

C

Arslan Ash, Qasim Meer

✅ Arslan Ash

H

Hafiz Tanveer, Numan Ch

❌

What’s next?

With Atif Butt and Arslan Ash progressing to the Round of 16, all eyes are now on Pakistan’s top Tekken stars to carry the flag forward. After their recent EVO final showdown, another high-stakes matchup between the two could be on the horizon.

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