Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa crowned winners of the UK's first-of-its-kind women's only esports initiativeMonday 11 November 2024
The initiative, which featured three phases and a prize pot of £50,000, as well as the chance to win professional contracts, came to a thrilling conclusion with the Women's Esports Finals this weekend
The ground-breaking tournament was created by Sky Broadband in partnership with Guild Esports and Gaming whose ambassador is David Beckham
The Women's Esports initiative aimed to promote diversity and inclusion in the gaming world following research revealing a mere 5% of pro gamers are women
Images to download here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/taylorherringpr/5MfW5Ku8x4 & https://www.flickr.com/gp/taylorherringpr/W107yVVNn8
Video to download here: https://we.tl/t-a1MU3p0grR
The winners of the first-of-its-kind women's only esports initiative have been crowned.
Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa both from London came out on top, as the three-phase tournament brought to life by Sky Broadband in partnership with Guild Esports and Gaming came to an end this weekend.
The winners of the Women's Esports Finals have secured themselves professional contracts, a portion of the £50,000 prize fund, which is shared between all finalists, and free Sky Broadband for 24 months. The tournament marks a significant milestone in the journey towards a more inclusive esports industry.
The first-of-its-kind women's only esports initiative was launched in April by Sky Broadband, in partnership with Guild Esports and Gaming, and their ambassador, David Beckham. The initiative was designed to provide a platform for talented women gamers to showcase their skills, following research that revealed out of all esports pros only 5% (1) are women, despite 47% (2) of UK gamers being women.
In the run up to the Women's Esports Finals, competitors from across the UK have gone head-to-head in Racers Eseries (a sim racing-based competition) and Football Eseries (EA SPORTS FC 25) tournaments. It is the first women's esports tournament to award professional contracts as well as cash prizes, a share of which was given to all finalists.
The coveted esports pro contracts will see Grete and Mariam receive access to top-class facilities and opportunities to connect with other professionals and sponsors as they develop their skills. The winners will also receive support from experts including the setting of KPIs to guide their progress, coaching and mentorship to help develop their competitive play.
The finalists battled it out at Sky's headquarters with the event live streamed on Sky Sports and Guild Esports' YouTube channels hosted by renowned esports presenter Frankie Ward.
She led the charge with Rachel Stringer who helped break down the action alongside Alia Harvey, and Anita Abayomi who stepped into the football commentator's seat. Presenter Iain Chambers was also joined by Nina-Jade Paul and commentator George Morgan for the Racers Eseries.
Nine of the best women drivers in the UK competed on fan favourite tracks where Grete Lajal topped the podium in the sim racing-based competition. Grete, the Racers Eseries winner said:
I am so happy, and also surprised! I definitely didn't know what I was getting myself into! I would have never thought I could participate in a race like this if it wasn't for this event. I'm so excited about finding a new hobby where I can constantly improve at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre. Today went really well, but I know there's so much more to come.
Fellow Racers Eseries competitor Clara Bucciacchio won a Guild Esports and Gaming academy contract following an impressive set of races. The contract will give her access to support and training to raise her game to the professional level.
After a hard-fought regular season, the Football Eseries saw six players go head-to head in four rounds of EA SPORTS FC 25 followed by an all-or-nothing final. Mariam was top of the league in her performance during the Football Eseries winning the final match 5-2. Mariam Musa the Football Eseries winner said:
It feels crazy to be the Football Eseries champion, it doesn't feel real. It was amazing to have that many women come out and showcase their talent at Sky. I'm looking forward to the support that Guild Esports and Gaming can offer. Hopefully I can work with their coaches, compete in more tournaments and show more representation as a person of colour as it's really hard to enter the space.
Sky Broadband is the official partner of Guild Esports and Gaming, supporting the esports company in their shared mission to make the industry inclusive and equal for all.
Amber Pine, MD, Sky Connectivity, said:
Huge congratulations to Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa on becoming the first ever champions of our Women's Esports Finals. At Sky Broadband, we're incredibly proud to have partnered with Guild Esports and Gaming on this groundbreaking initiative, together we are changing the game and proving that esports is a space for everyone.
Luke Jones, VP, Commercial, Esports, and Gaming from Guild Esports and Gaming, said: We are excited to welcome Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa to Guild Esports and Gaming. This tournament was about showcasing the immense talent within the women's gaming community, and these two players have undoubtedly proven themselves to be the best. This is just the beginning of their journey as professional esports athletes, and we are excited to support them every step of the way as they compete at the highest level.
Monica Dinsmore, Senior Director of Esports & Ventures Brand, EA Sports, said:
The passion and skill these women bring to the virtual pitch is inspiring. Having been in the space for more than a decade, it's rewarding to see organizations like Sky Bro
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
09/01/2026
RT Player has 157 million streams, up 10% year-on-year
An increase on 2024, RT...
09/01/2026
RT 2FM has today announced the highly anticipated list of 2FM Rising Artists for 2026, kicking off 2FM Rising week for the eighth year on The Tracy Clifford Sh...
09/01/2026
RT to Host the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards
Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2026 | Gradaim RTS 2026 | R...
08/01/2026
An evidence-based analysis on disinformation and information manipulation in Sudan's ongoing conflict is published today. (January 8th 2026).
Thomson Found...
08/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
08/01/2026
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch cel...
08/01/2026
TSA awards Rohde & Schwarz contract for advanced airport screening ahead of Socc...
08/01/2026
The review looks back at DPA's miniature microphone development over the years. It compares the evolving technologies from the original mics through CORE an...
08/01/2026
Comscore Launches Audio Targeting and Measurement Capabilities with The Trade De...
08/01/2026
Tonight, on RT Prime Time at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
Tonight, Prime T...
08/01/2026
The Late Late Show celebrates the very best of traditional Irish music with its first-ever full special dedicated entirely to the tradition
Lisa Canny | Kevin...
08/01/2026
It will be murder on the dancefloor when Dancing with the Stars returns this S...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
06/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
06/01/2026
Lorde. A$AP Rocky. JENNIE. Baby Keem. KATSEYE. That's just a taste of who...
06/01/2026
Channel 4 and UKTV are giving viewers even more reasons to stream, with UKTV's U service set to feature thousands of hours of free, unmissable and bingeable...
06/01/2026
Tuesday 6 January 2026
An update on our Sky Mobile prices
Devesh Raj, Chief Operating Officer, Sky
Today, we've announced some changes to the prices of ...
06/01/2026
Comscore Launches Daily Program-Level Reporting with Deduplicated Insights on Sh...
06/01/2026
Comscore Completes Recapitalization Transaction with Preferred Stockholders Foll...
05/01/2026
Bad Bunny's DeB TiRAR M S FOToS defined the sound of 2025 for listeners eve...
05/01/2026
As the clock struck midnight and 2026 was born, so was an exciting range of new ...
05/01/2026
These Sacred Vows starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'...
05/01/2026
DANDANCING WITH THE STARS RETURNS TO SHAKE UP SUNDAY NIGHTS
Reigning Rose of Tr...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
The Quantum 852 is situated in the 6,500-seat Seoul-based place of worship, a church which is home to a 1,000-person choir and a 50-piece orchestra. There are f...
01/01/2026
Formed in 2002, OneRepublic have enjoyed huge international success, with over 18 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their current tour, Escape to Europe, contin...
01/01/2026
We had been using the club's previous console for the last ten years, so we researched manufacturer information very carefully, says venue audio manager Mr...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
John Shortt named Young Sportsperson of the Year Kerry are the Team of the Year
...
19/12/2025
With Playout Release 2025.4, ToolsOnAir continues to push professional playout w...
19/12/2025
19 Dec 2025
VEON's Mobilink Microfinance Bank Launches Islamic Banking Oper...
Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa crowned winners of the UK's first-of-its-kind women's only esports initiativeMonday 11 November 2024
