Arslan 'ASH'
Siddique
Pakistan
·
esports
Date of birth | 20 August 1995 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Lahore |
Age | 30 |
Nationality | Pakistan |
Career start | 2010 |
Disciplines | Tekken 7 |
From playing at a gaming arcade in front of his house in Lahore at eight-years-old to winning EVO tournaments around the world, Arslan 'ASH' Siddique's rise to the top has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Already a well-known name on the local gaming circuit by his teenage years, he was initially planning to train as a doctor. However, ASH's plans changed when he started participating in local city and district competitions.
"You become what's written in your fate," says ASH. Soon he realised he could be more successful and fulfilled by pursuing something he's passionate about than if he opted for a traditional career. The real shift in his trajectory came when he won Pakistan's biggest national tournament, Tekken 6 Grand Masters Championship, in 2010. "After this tournament, there was a lot of hype. Everyone started recognising me," he says.
After dominating the national fighting-game scene in Pakistan, ASH finally managed to get some money together with the help of friends to compete in his first international tournament; KOF GCC 2018 in Oman. The gaming world took notice when he recorded incredible wins in both King of Fighters XIV and Tekken 7.
Since then, he's shot to fame, with an almost unrivalled record. He unified the Evo titles with wins in both the USA and Japan in 2019 and was named ESPN's Esports Player of the Year as a result.
A winner everywhere he goes, ASH is a man on a mission. "I always move forward with a dream to achieve," he says. The young Tekken master never fails to have his sights set on the next world tournament to win.
With Geese and Kazumi as his go-to characters for competitions (even though his favourite player remains Nina) and with eight hours of daily practice, there's seemingly no stopping ASH as he continues to rack up victory after victory.