As the manager for two Todak eSports teams, 23-year-old Nazmi Nahar ensures that players wake up by 9am so they can start the day right with light exercises.
Jogging is usually the preferred choice but due to movement restrictions, the players work out indoors.
“I’ll ask them to avoid heavy workouts so they don’t end up injuring themselves,” he says.
From 11am to 3pm, Nazmi says his players will focus on scrimming or playing friendly competitive matches with other teams as part of their training.
Playing against top teams from Indonesia and Thailand, he says, helps build their mental strength and improve their gameplay.
“After the training session, we’ll gather in the meeting room for a post-mortem to discuss strategies.
“If they lose, they will get to talk about what went wrong and how to do better the next time,” says Nazmi who manages Todak’s Valorant and PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) Mobile teams.
Over at Suhaz Esports, team manager Muhammad Fadhil “Padel” Hishamuddin, 32, ensures that the team’s daily routine includes 30 minutes of physical exercise, which starts at 10am before they begin gaming from 12pm to 8pm.
He says treadmills have been provided to the players so they can work out at home.
“I do believe the players see a difference when they start incorporating a fitness routine as part of their training.
Players were given treadmills for exercising at home, says Muhammad Fadhil. — Suhaz Esports
“They don’t feel so tired from sitting too long after a gaming practice session. Instead, they feel more energised and are able to focus better,” he shares.
As the team works hard the whole day, the players are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep.
“When they are done with training for the day, we encourage them to do whatever they want. They can even play other games.
“But by midnight, I tell them to stop using their PCs and phones, and go to sleep instead,” he says.
Muhammad Fadhil, who has been the manager for Suhaz Esports’ Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) team for two years, is a former professional eSports player. This has helped him adapt his managerial style to make it easier for the players to open up to him.
“Coming from an eSports background definitely offers an advantage because I feel players tend to respect someone who has been through it all.
“They will take your feedback more seriously as well,” he says.
Fuel for gaming
Todak eSports employs a chef who prepares the players meals.
Its development manager Radzi “Ikuto” Rahman, 29, says it’s crucial that players eat well and cut down on junk food, especially during tournaments, to ensure they are able to cope with the long hours.
Radzi feels it’s essential that players eat well and cut down on junk food. – Todak
This also reduces the chance of them getting a stomach ache or other related problems, he says.
“They are not required to be on a strict diet but we have a chef to prepare a balanced meal,” he says.
Muhammad Fadhil also believes that taking care of a team includes helping the players with their meals.
“I have one player who absolutely hates burgers. He says something about the sauce scares him.
“So I make sure there are no burgers when we prepare meals for the team,” he adds.
Radzi says the healthy eating, exercises and sufficient breaks after trainings have paid off.
“After these measures were introduced, our team won the MLBB Professional League for Malaysia and Singapore Season 6 championship last year and the squad remained undefeated throughout the tournament.
“It is one of my proudest moments,” he says.
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