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A New Star Is Born: Team Ashes Wins TWT 2022
Lahore-based Atif Butt, representing Red Bull e-athlete Arslan Ash's homebase Team ASHES, surprises the world by winning the Tekken World Tour (TWT) Championship in Amsterdam.
A star is born. And his name is Atif Butt. Atif Butt took the world by surprise when he won the Tekken World Tour 2022 Finals in early February, defeating a lineup of top players from across the world, including Jeon DDing from South Korea in the grand finals.
Atif Butt has been playing locally and internationally for a long time, has accumulated a number of big victories in competitions and proved his mettle. But this TWT could be the biggest win of his career so far. It’s even more impressive that his friend, the renowned Arslan Ash also competed in the same tournament. So, Atif Butt, was the underdog this time around.
Atif Butt points out how the top players competing in the tournament were watching out for Arslan Ash. “Everyone from Korea, Japan and across Europe had been preparing for Arslan Ash because if he’s competing, it’s more likely than not that he will win.”
However, Atif Butt sneaked up on everyone like a dark horse to win the race. It’s funny that even he didn’t expect it. “It’s a lot about luck as well. I didn’t know if I’d even qualify. But I won here in Pakistan and went to the Netherlands to compete for the finals,” he says.
“At first, I was in disbelief that I had actually won. I didn’t know if anybody would care or know me at all, I was too focused on my performance. But my hard work paid off and I was happy that I won.”
“My family was happy because they knew the prize was good,” Atif Butt laughs. “They are happy that I won on such a platform and that my career is going so well that I can have such opportunities. I thank God for that.”
The fact that Atif Butt joined Arslan Ash’s bootcamp in the last couple of years and represented the latter’s group ‘Team ASHES’ isn’t lost of him.
“His bootcamp is great for us. We practice and play all the time. Arslan supports us really well and brings in other players for us to play against.”
Arslan Ash was also excited about his team member’s huge victory. He shared a video on Twitter, noting that he was filled with tears of joy. “I started boot camp in 2018, with a mission in mind - to support the Tekken community in Pakistan,” he wrote. “After Atif Butt’s win at TWT 2022 I'm happy to play a small role in Pakistani representation on global Tekken platforms.”
Besides Arslan Ash, Twitter was roaring in support for this new emerging Tekken star from Pakistan.
A user named Ahmed Shahid wrote, “I had tears in my eyes watching you three up there. It’s such a magical story. When you want to achieve something and you actually do it, it means the world to you.”
Another user left the best wishes for upcoming tournaments. “I hope all members of Team Ashes travel to all major tournaments in TWT 2023. More power to you and your team members, you've been nothing but a blessing for Pakistan.”
Arslan Ash has not only planted the Pakistani flag on the Tekken scene but is also opening doors for more talented players like Atif Butt and others to elevate the scene and bring in more opportunities.
“It’s not just Arslan Ash. It’s not just me. But there are so many other talented players in Pakistan who don’t get opportunities. I hope, like Arslan, I go on to help them come up on the scene and make a name for themselves.”
Congratulations to Atif Butt and Team ASHES for the TWT 2022 victory!
