Trackmania star Kunal Upreti secures India’s spot at Esports Nations Cup 2026 after a commanding qualifying run

Riyadh : India’s Trackmania star Kunal Upreti, popularly known as Spark, has qualified for the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 after a dominant run through the Asia regional qualifier. The 22-year-old will be the country’s sole representative in the title at the global nation-based esports event, set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.

Trackmania at ENC 2026 will take place from November 19 to 22 and feature 32 players competing for a prize pool of USD 250,000 (~INR 2 crore). A total of 16 players representing 16 countries and territories received direct invitations through the publisher-operated Trackmania Elite Cup Rankings. Alongside the direct invites, 14 additional players earned qualification through regional competitions held across the Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Spark competed in the Asia regional qualifier which featured 20 competitors and was conducted in two stages. Players first competed in a Time Attack seeding phase, where two maps were played for 10 minutes each and combined results determined playoff seedings. Based on his Trackmania Elite Cup ranking, Spark received a direct seed into the playoff stage.

The playoffs were played in a double-elimination bracket using Cup Mode scoring, where points were awarded based on race finishes. All matches, except the Grand Final, were played to a 120-point threshold, while the Grand Final was played to 140 points. Once a player reached the required threshold, they still needed to win an additional race to secure the match.

Spark produced a near-flawless run throughout the playoffs, finishing first in every match. He scored 122 points in each of his opening three playoff rounds before closing out the Grand Final with 143 points to secure qualification for ENC 2026.

The result adds to what has already been a landmark year for the 22-year-old. Representing S8UL Esports, Spark recently secured qualification for the Trackmania event at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 after finishing second overall in the Asia & Oceania qualifier, making him India’s sole representative in the title at both premier international competitions this year.

The achievement comes as little surprise given Spark’s track record in the title. Widely regarded as one of India’s leading Trackmania players, he has won four consecutive editions of the Trackmania India Cup (Editions 5, 6, 7, and 8) and claimed the Mahi Cup title in 2025. He has also represented India internationally at the Trackmania Games, Trackmania Seasonal Country Championship, and Trackmania Country Championship.

At ENC 2026, Spark will compete against some of the world’s top Trackmania players, including France’s Alexandre Touche (Binkss), Germany’s Nico Gyarmati (GranaDy), Canada’s Carl-Antoni Cloutier (Carl Jr.), and Great Britain’s Thomas Cole (Pac), among others.

Speaking about his qualification, Kunal Upreti aka Spark said, “The ENC qualification means a lot because it gives me another opportunity to represent India on the international stage. The Asia qualifier featured some very strong competitors, so I’m pleased with how I performed throughout the event. 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.”

Trackmania at ENC 2026 will begin with all 32 players competing in a group stage featuring four groups of eight players each. The top four players from every group will advance to a 16-player single-elimination playoff bracket. During the playoffs, once a player reaches the required point threshold, they must secure an additional race win to claim the match.

In addition to the 16 directly invited players and 14 regional qualifiers, Plink of the United Arab Emirates secured the Host Region Wildcard as the highest-placing competitor from the host region. One final Solidarity Wildcard slot will be awarded later this year following the completion of all ENC qualifiers, providing a competitor from an underrepresented nation the opportunity to compete on the world stage and complete the 32-player field for ENC 2026.

Elsewhere, India’s preparations for ENC 2026 continue across multiple titles. NODWIN Gaming, India’s National Team Partner (NTP) for ENC 2026, has already announced the following national team rosters:

– DOTA 2: Krish Gupta (Krish), Vishal Vernekar (HBK), Dhvanit Singh Negi (Negi), Manav Kunte (MnZ), and Yash Thakur (xand3r_^). Moin Ejaz (NO_Chanc3) will serve as coach.

The roster will compete in the regional qualifiers from June 29 to July 1, where two teams will secure qualification.

– Chess: Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Mitrabha Guha have qualified to represent India at the ENC 2026 main event.

– 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) will serve as coach.

India is currently ranked 11th in the MOBA Legends: 5v5! ENC rankings and remains in contention for a direct invitation. Should it miss out, the team will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.

– Rocket League: Abhai Ponna (Abscrazy), Karthik Raghunandan (Karvin), Aditeya Srivastav (Riyal), and substitute player Jayanth Engineer (Orjanguse). Nirjhar Mitra (jocse) will serve as coach.

The team will compete in the regional qualifiers from July 17 to 19, where three teams from Asia will secure qualification for the ENC 2026 Finals.