IF you are an avid gamer, chances are your parents have, at some point, argued with you for spending too much time glued to the screen.
In the case of 28-year-old Shivana Sookdeo, hours and hours of playing video games has gotten her to one of the biggest international fighting game competitions in the world – EVO Nice 2025 (France).
At the age of five, Sookdeo began playing video games with her two older brothers, Videsh and Sudesh.
Some of her earliest gaming memories come from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System with games like Super Mario and Donkey Kong Country.
As she got older, Sookdeo moved to games of a more competitive nature, like Tekken 3 on the PlayStation 1 (PS1).
"Our cousin, he had the game and the console and that's how we actually got into it. It's because of him.
"As time progressed, my brothers got the other consoles, like the PS1 and PS2 and I played a variety of games, most of them being creative."
Sookdeo said she’s particularly drawn to games that are artistic and relaxing as well as action-packed, such as Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy.
Despite this, her favourite game to play in is Tekken, for the competitive aspect.
Her favourite character is Asuka Kazama and she explained why.
"She came out in Tekken 5 and I guess being the little girl I was, I wanted to choose a girl character. In addition to her being new, I was really into the whole Japanese culture at the time.
"I just liked her style. And getting to know the story about her and stuff, it resonated with me because she likes animals and helping people and doing good."
The Esports Federation of TT, through its partnerships with other regional Esport Federations, told Sookdeo about an all-female tournament in Guadeloupe which came as a surprise.
"I had never seen or heard about a competition that was women only. So it was my first time competing against only women as well as my first competition abroad.
"I was happy to get the opportunity and sponsorship to compete in the event."
Sookdeo said her skills were relatively high compared to the other women in the tournament, likely because TT is somewhat more advanced than some other countries in the region."
The Abena Tournament 2025 was an all-women, Afro-Caribbean-focused competition.
It was the second edition of the tournament, which was aimed at celebrating female gamers.
Hosted in Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe and organised by Giga Games (Guadeloupe eSports Federation) in collaboration with Afrogameuses, and backed by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, the tournament formed part of the 3rd Family Gaming Festival.
Women from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, Sint Maarten, and TT all took part in the week-long competition.
[caption id="attachment_1157001" align="alignnone" width="720"] Shivana Sookdeo at the Abena Tournament 2025 in Guadeloupe.Photo courtesy Giga Games and Abena Tournament -[/caption]
In the field of eight, Sookdeo came out victorious and earned the opportunity to represent the Caribbean at EVO Nice.
Sookde
