Teenager from Melbourne wins $15.3MILLION after taking out first place in Dota 2 tournament 

The Australian sporting hero you’ve never heard of: Teenage boy wins $15.3MILLION after taking out first place in a Dota 2 tournament

  • Melbourne e-gamer Anathan Pham scooped the historic jackpot playing Dota 2
  • The 18-year-old rose from obscurity in 2016 to take the spoils with his team OG
  • Pham moved to Shanghai, China to be an Dota 2 e-gamer when he was barely 16
  • He also took a year off after disappointing at last year’s edition of the tournament

An 18-year-old boy from Melbourne has claimed the biggest ever prize in e-sports at a tournament in Canada.

Anathan ‘ana’ Pham helped his team OG scoop the $15.3million prize fund by winning Dota 2 tournament The International at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Sunday morning.

He will share the largest portion of the $34.7million prize pool along with his four teammates.

Melbourne gamer Anathan Pham, who was plucked from e-gaming obscurity in 2016, has won $11.2mllion with his team OG after winning Dota 2 tournament The International in Vancouver, Canada

Pham's team OG took the mammoth top prize after seeing off favourites PSG.LSD 3-2 in the final at the Rogers Arena

Pham’s team OG took the mammoth top prize after seeing off favourites PSG.LSD 3-2 in the final at the Rogers Arena

Underdogs OG defeated Chinese side PSG.LSD to claim the top prize – having come back from 2-1 down to win the best-of-five grand finals 3-2.

Dota 2 is a five-on-five game played on a virtual battlefield with each team’s aim being to kill the opposing players and destroy their base.

More than 10 million people play the game worldwide each month. 

The win completes a remarkable turnaround for Pham and his team, who disappointed with a 7th place finish in the tournament at last year’s edition of the tournament.

The gamer took a year off from the competitive circuit following the tournament, and only returned to the squad after OG lost two of their best players.

Pham's (pictured with his team OG during the grand final on Sunday morning) victory completes a remarkable turnaround for the Melbourne gamer - who took a year off from Dota 2 competition after a disappointing finish at last year's tournament

Pham’s (pictured with his team OG during the grand final on Sunday morning) victory completes a remarkable turnaround for the Melbourne gamer – who took a year off from Dota 2 competition after a disappointing finish at last year’s tournament

Pham was plucked from obscurity to join OG in 2016 – having moved to Shanghai, China from Melbourne to try and make it as an e-sports player. 

He joined the team relatively unknown – having replaced the Jordanian superstar Amer ‘Miracle’ Al-Barkawi. 

Speaking to foxsports.com.au in 2016, Pham said: ‘I never thought going pro was possible but sometimes dreams come true.’ 

The teenager’s victory marks the second year in a row in which an Australian has featured in the Grand Finals of The International – despite successful Dota 2 teams normally hailing from North America, China and southeast Asia. 

Sydney gamer Damien Chok took second place in last year’s tournament but fell to a 13th-placed finish this time around.

Dota 2 competition will return in September with a newly-revamped Pro Circuit competition.

Pham (left) and teammate Topias Taavitsainen embraced after coming out victorious over PSG.LSD in the $15.3million title match 

Pham (left) and teammate Topias Taavitsainen embraced after coming out victorious over PSG.LSD in the $15.3million title match 

 

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