Kunal Upreti Secures India’s Trackmania Slot at Esports Nations Cup 2026

Kunal Upreti, known by his in-game alias Spark, has secured India’s sole qualification spot for Trackmania at the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026. The 22-year-old player dominated the Asia regional qualifier, earning his place at the international event scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.

Upreti’s performance in the qualifier follows his recent success in securing India’s representation in Trackmania at the Esports World Cup 2026. His consistent qualification for premier international events marks a significant period for Indian representation in the title.

ENC 2026 Trackmania Tournament Details

The Trackmania segment of ENC 2026 is scheduled from November 19 to 22, featuring 32 players competing for a prize pool of USD 250,000 (approximately INR 2 crore). The field will comprise 16 directly invited players based on publisher-operated Trackmania Elite Cup Rankings, 14 regional qualifiers, one host region wildcard, and one solidarity wildcard slot.

Upreti competed in the Asia regional qualifier against 20 participants. After a Time Attack seeding phase, he received a direct seed into the playoff stage due to his Elite Cup ranking. The playoffs, contested in a double-elimination bracket using Cup Mode scoring, saw Upreti achieve first-place finishes in all his matches. He secured 122 points in each of his initial three rounds and concluded the Grand Final with 143 points to clinch his qualification.

Upreti’s Career Trajectory

Representing S8UL Esports, Upreti has established himself as a prominent figure in the Indian Trackmania scene. His achievements include four consecutive victories in the Trackmania India Cup (Editions 5, 6, 7, and 8) and the Mahi Cup title in 2025. He has also represented India in previous international competitions, including the Trackmania Games, Trackmania Seasonal Country Championship, and Trackmania Country Championship.

At ENC 2026, Upreti is set to compete against renowned international players such as France’s Alexandre Touche (Binkss), Germany’s Nico Gyarmati (GranaDy), Canada’s Carl-Antoni Cloutier (Carl Jr.), and Great Britain’s Thomas Cole (Pac).

“The ENC qualification means a lot because it gives me another opportunity to represent India on the international stage,” Upreti stated, acknowledging the strong competition in the Asia qualifier. “The level of competition at ENC 2026 will be incredibly high, but those are exactly the events every player wants to compete in. I’m excited for the challenge ahead and looking forward to testing myself against some of the strongest players in the world.”

The Trackmania tournament at ENC 2026 will commence with a group stage featuring four groups of eight players. The top four from each group will advance to a 16-player single-elimination playoff bracket. For further details on the host city’s esports initiatives, you can visit the Saudi Esports Federation website (https://esports.sa/en/).

India’s Broader ENC 2026 Representation

NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner for ENC 2026, has announced rosters for several other titles:

* **DOTA 2:** Krish Gupta (Krish), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Dhvanit Singh Negi (Negi), Manav Kunte (MnZ), and Yash Thakur (xand3r_^). Moin Ejaz (NO_Chanc3) serves as coach. This team will participate in regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1.

* **Chess:** Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Mitrabha Guha have directly qualified to represent India.

* **MOBA Legends: 5v5!:** Gaithanlung Gonmei (Kyle), Susanta Biswas (Kimyy), Abhijeet Katkar (Asuna), Rithik Sohal (Romcom), Evancius A. Sangma (Vann), Mohammad Saad (Apex), and Jay Mehta (J). Steve Vitug (Dale) is the coach. India is currently ranked 11th in the MOBA Legends: 5v5! ENC rankings and is contending for a direct invitation. Regional qualifiers are scheduled for August 15-16 if a direct slot is not secured.

* **Rocket League:** Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse). Nirjhar Mitra (jocse) is the coach. This team will compete in regional qualifiers from July 17 to 19.

These developments underscore India’s growing presence in global esports, with dedicated efforts to qualify across multiple titles for the upcoming Esports Nations Cup. For more on these and other Indian esports developments, visit TechnoSports(https://technosports.co.in/).