On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Samurai won the PlayVS Cup Valorant Grand Finals with a win over the previously undefeated Novi High School Wildcats. (Photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

LCI Samurai esports team takes first place in international Valorant championship

Jun 16, 2024 | 5:35 PM

A Lethbridge high school esports team has claimed victory in an international competition.

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Samurai won the PlayVS Cup Valorant Grand Finals with a win over the previously undefeated Novi High School Wildcats.

The matchup was a best of three set, with the Samurai winning in overtime in the third game.

This was not the first taste of victory for the Samurai, as they claimed 1st place at the inaugural Alberta Esports Championships, hosted in Lethbridge in 2024.

LCI esports coordinator John Thai says its been a lot of hard work to get the team to where they are now.

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He explained, “At the beginning of the year, they walked into things with a big ego. I had to teach them to enjoy winning, but also to manage losses and difficulty. As time went by, they learned that they had to be great at winning, but also great at losing. They learned that they only grow by learning from their mistakes.”

With the victory, the team earned nearly $10,000 in scholarship money for the students.