KENYABUZZ: Who is Queen Arrow?QUEEN ARROW: Queen Arrow is my gaming pseudonym. I'm a huge fan of the TV series Arrow.  My favorite character is Oliver Queen. So I put his last name (Queen) and his pseudonym 'Arrow' together.  I also go by malikasiheme98 on PSN. My government names are Sylvia Gathoni Wahome.KENYABUZZ: Tell as a bit about yourself.

QUEEN ARROW: I'm in my early-20s and I'm a law student at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. On the side, I'm a pro gamer signed with the US-based professional eSports group XiT Woundz.KENYABUZZ: How did you get started in eSports?QUEEN ARROW: I got into gaming through my elder brother's influence. Some of my early memories were of us playing cartridge console games and discs that had games like Super Mario, Contra, Tappers… stuff like that. Then we got a PlayStation2 and then I really got into Tekken 5 during that time. When I joined college back in 2016, that's when I began looking into eSports tournaments in Kenya.KENYABUZZ: What did you find?QUEEN ARROW: In 2017, the first edition of the East African Gaming Convention was held and they had a Mortal Kombat tournament. I competed and came in fourth. It was my first tournament.KENYABUZZ: Not bad for your first eSports tournament.QUEEN ARROW: Not bad at all. I was so motivated I went ahead and got a copy of Tekken 6 for my PS3 and I began putting in some work with it and then I heard about Tekken 254 tournament.KENYABUZZ: Did you participate?QUEEN ARROW: Yes, and I came in 19^th.KENYABUZZ: Bummer…

QUEEN ARROW: Yeah, but I didn't participate expecting to win but to learn more and be part of the gaming community in Kenya. There was more to it than just learning combos. Everyone I interacted with was very helpful and they taught me, and still are teaching me.KENYABUZZ: So how did you become one of the country's biggest names in eSports?QUEEN ARROW: It started when XiT Woundz emailed me saying they had heard about my skills and wanted to sign me up. XiT Woundz is a professional eSports club based in New Jersey, USA focusing on eSports player development. They wanted to expand their brand to Africa and they were impressed with the Tekken scene here in Kenya and the devotion to the game exhibited by our small gaming community. I didn't hesitate taking up the offer. I've been participating in tournaments ever since they signed me up and I've made a name for myself in the eSports scene.KENYABUZZ: It's a testosterone driven industry, huh?QUEEN ARROW: Yeah. There are very few female eSports players in Kenya. I can chalk it up to societal mindset that it's a "guy thing". Sometimes I feel that I have to work extra hard to prove that I'm just as good if not better than most of the guys in the industry.KENYABUZZ: Other than fighting the patriarchy what other challenges do you face in the industry?QUEEN ARROW: eSports isn't taken very seriously as it's seen as more of a hobby and not something that can potentially earn you a living. In developed countries, some people earn a living from being professional eSports players. I wish more tech companies and corporations could come through for the eSports community in Kenya. There's so much potential.KENYABUZZ: Perhaps eSports hasn't picked up in Kenya because it's financially out of reach for many Kenyans.QUEEN ARROW: I've gotta admit, consoles are pretty expensive. If the state could intervene and reduce taxes on consoles, this could be a way of making the country a major eSports hub and might even contribute to easing unemployment.KENYABUZZ: What's your favourite game?QUEEN ARROW: Hard to choose. I love different games for different reasons. But I'd have to say Assassin's Creed is pretty awesome. And it has educational value too! I know more about the American, French and Industrial Revolutions, the Italian Renaissance, the Golden Age of Piracy and Ancient Egypt. All from playing the franchise. Not to mention I picked up some languages, like Italian, from playing.KENYABUZZ: You mentioned you're in Law school. How do you balance being a Tekken geek and studying the constitution?QUEEN ARROW: I have play time and grind time. They never collide. Matter of fact, gaming helps me formulate arguments and historical knowledge and critical thinking when I'm writing my school papers.KENYABUZZ: Did you enjoy Ready Player One?QUEEN ARROW: You know what? I haven't watched it yet. Scandalous! I know.KENYABUZZ: What's in the pipeline for Queen Arrow?QUEEN ARROW: Be the best. That's all there is to it. Photos: JD photography & KB