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Covid 19 has once again made an unwelcome appearance in the 2022 Valorant Champions with a leading team’s coach struck by the illness.
According to reports, Chet “Chet” Singh, OpTic Gaming’s head coach, has tested positive for covid.
Chet made the announcement himself via his Twitter page, quoting a Riot Games announcement that shed light on the provisions put in place for infected players.
Chet disclosed that he was yet to recover. However, some members of 100 Thieves and the tournament organisers supplied items he would need to “get through this”.
“I tested positive for COVID 2-3 days ago, definitely very unfortunate circumstances, but Riot and also some members of 100T have provided stuff for me to get through this,” he wrote.
“Wasn’t able to recover at all so far, but I will get through this.”
In a follow-up tweet, Chet went on to apologise to his teammates and fans, claiming the outcome was entirely his fault and that he should have been much more cautious. He concluded by saying that he hoped his absence would not have a negative impact on the team’s chances of winning.
In a post by Riot Games, the Valorant developer explained the importance placed on the health and well-being of players and staff present at the Valorant Champions in Istanbul. They revealed that in the course of the mandatory testing of players, the OpTic coach was discovered to be infected.
Riot Games further divulged that in cases where players test positive, they would be allowed to participate in the event only if they feel up to it. A separate gaming venue for the infected player would be prepared in an isolation facility and the player could join in on the match via a built-in LAN network.
The rest of the player’s team, as well as the opposing squad, would play from the original gaming venue.
100 Thieves also recorded several cases among their ranks since arriving in Istanbul for the tournament. The general manager of the team’s Valorant lineup, Daniel “DDK” Kapadia, went online to explain that four of the American esports team players and coaches were down with the virus a few days ago.
He, however, reassured fans that they were well on their way to recovery and would most likely participate in the Valorant Champions.
The 2022 Valorant Champions is currently being held in Istanbul, where 16 of the top teams from different regions are competing for the $1 million prize pool. The event is the third and final tournament of the VCT 2022 season.
The group stage kicked off on August 31 and will continue until September 8, after which the playoffs will be held from September 9 to September 18.
OpTic Gaming was placed in Group B, along with teams like LOUD and ZETA DIVISION. The team played their first game in the Valorant Champions against BOOM Esports and triumphed with a 2-1 record, despite the challenges.
Their next outing will come against LOUD in the winners’ match, with the Brazilian franchise pegged as close favourites on esports betting sites with $1.83 odds as opposed to the $1.91 assigned to OpTic.
