nafany urges European pros to copy 1win’s TDK route

1win captain Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov questioned why more European players are not following the route taken by his former TDK project after reaching the ESL Pro League playoffs in Katowice.

The team secured its playoff place with a victory over Team Spirit, following earlier wins against G2 and Legacy. The results lifted 1win to 11th in the live Valve Regional Standings and gave the team an 89% chance of reaching the Major, according to current ranking calculations.

The roster was built around players who were inactive or benched by other organizations. The group previously competed as TDK, funding its own tournaments before winning ESL Challenger and earning a place in ESL Pro League.

“ I still don’t really understand why players in Europe aren’t doing the same thing we did with TDK, because from my point of view, it’s easier,” nafany said in an interview. “They have pretty cheap flight tickets. They have a lot of LANs. All they need is to invest in their future.”

He described the lack of independent projects as a problem for the European scene. The TDK project required sacrifices from nafany, Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov, coach Konstantin “groove” Pikiner and other players. Nafany explained that he was the only free agent in the group, while several teammates were benched by organizations that restricted their participation in tournaments without an organization.

The win over Spirit also put 1win against former teammate Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov. Nafany viewed the result as part of the team’s longer return to top-level competition rather than a victory over one former teammate.

1win’s preparation and support staff helped the team defeat three established opponents, according to nafany. He expects future opponents to prepare more carefully but believes the roster still has strategies it has not used.

Ax1Le led 1win’s scoreboard against Spirit. Nafany linked the player’s improved form to returning to a system with him and groove, along with receiving positions suited to his style.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s only about CS2,” nafany said. “It’s more about which Counter-Strike he is playing. When he’s working with me and groove again, obviously it’s like home for him. We know how to use him, and he knows how to play with us.”

Nafany added that Ax1Le continues to work hard and may not have reached his best form. He also paid tribute to former TDK player sugaR, who has retired, and noted the sacrifices made by the members of the project.

The ESL Pro League playoffs will mark nafany’s return to arena competition after a long absence. “I will only understand it on the stage,” he said. “I’m just happy that we did it. We had a really good run in the Swiss stage. Now it’s time to shine in the playoffs.”

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