I gave up my football career to be a girl gamer – now I’m the first woman to qualify for a top Call of Duty tournament

A WOMAN who made history in the gaming industry first had to give up her soccer career to pursue a life in the virtual world.

Kelsie Grieg had to retire from her football career a few years ago after suffering an injury.

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The Aberdeen player previously played for the Scotland U17 women’s team.

But now the 22-year-old has become the first woman ever to qualify for the Call of Duty Challengers Elite tournament.

“I may be the first woman to do this, but hopefully not the last. And it just means the world,” she told the BBC last week.

Grieg, who is known as Kels in the gaming industry, faced discrimination when she first entered the esports industry.

Typically, only a fraction of the millions won in gambling competitions around the world goes to women.

“There’s always been some stereotypes about women competing in sports and while I’ve experienced some of that in Call of Duty, for the most part the community has always been welcoming,” she told the Daily Mail.

“Yes, online gaming is a scary male-dominated world, but if I can conquer it, so can others. I may have been the first woman to get this far, but I hope I won’t be the last.

“My next goal is to become the first woman to play in the professional league and I am determined to achieve that. Why not? I’ve come this far.”

The esports market is projected to grow to $1.9bn (£1.4bn) by 2025.

“I think people need to realize that gaming isn’t just sitting at a desk all day,” Kels told the BBC.

“Going to events, traveling, gambling for money. Just getting that while playing is amazing.

“If you’re not into gaming, you don’t know how big it is and how much you can do with it.”

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