Seven children living with critical illnesses took to the Esports World Cup stage in Paris as part of a tailored visit organised with Make-A-Wish France.
The children, Mariah, Izyan, Alirio and Yanis, and their families were given behind-the-scenes access to the tournament, exploring the Fan Fest, interactive gaming zones and activations run by international esports teams before watching the Valorant semi-finals in the main arena.
“We received seven children with their wishes,” Thamer Alshuaibi, chief of staff at the Esports Foundation, tells The National. “Some of them had common wishes and some did not. Luckily, because of the EWC and its magnitude, we were able to accommodate many of those.”
Several wanted to attend Valorant, while others hoped to meet gaming influencers. One child interested in anime was taken to one of the event’s animation areas. Each family received personalised merchandise.
The families were welcomed by Prince Faisal bin Bandar, chairman of the Esports Foundation, alongside foundation leaders and Elisa Cros, events project manager at Make-A-Wish France.
After a hosted lunch, the group watched the Valorant semi-finals.
“Seeing their joy, cheers and happiness brought us great moments and great emotions,” Alshuaibi says.
The children joined the tournament’s wider audience across the fan areas and live competition during the visit.
“I wanted to personally ensure that they feel they are the same,” Alshuaibi says. “There is nothing that stops them. They can come, they can experience it, they can enjoy it and they can have fun.”
Alshuaibi says the foundation hoped to continue welcoming Make-A-Wish and similar organisations to future events. “This community is very close to our hearts,” he says. “The place will always be welcoming to such organisations.”
The Esports World Cup is being held in Paris for the first time and continues until August 23.
