Get ready for a fun battle as the Beyblade Tournament Mumbai returns to town

Big Bang Pegasus F:D from Mendes’ bey collection (right) at a previous battle hosted by Mendes

Roll your fists, and prepare for your best Beyblade launch ever. The Beyblade Tournament Mumbai is back in town, and is brought to you by aficionado and beyblade collector Anthony Stephen Mendes AKA Tony Beys. "Mumbai is a hub of beyblade collectors and enthusiasts," says Mendes, adding that there is a larger community in Kolkata and Delhi. "I used to attend and host various events with non-profit organisations, and even participate in the tournaments. But eventually, they all started disappearing." In his attempt to plug the gap that the community in the city felt, Mendes started his own venture.

"My first event was in February this year. I realised that there are people still willing to attend battles and gatherings like this, they just need someone to organise one," he adds. His competitions are based on the second-generation beybladers, who borrow from the 2012 series, and like to play with metal beyblades. "The first generation was all about plastic beyblades; these were inspired from the 2001 animated show. The second came out in 2012, and the third generation gets their style from the third series called Beyblade Burst, which came out in 2016."

Participants at a beyblade competition. Pic courtesy/@indianbeybladeassociation

While his events usually see beyblade enthusiasts above 21 years, he allows anyone below this age group, provided they are accompanied by a guardian or parent. "The kids usually bring in the beyblade burst style. Everyone is allowed to get their own beys, but in case you don't possess any, we provide you with a few as well."

A proud owner of nearly 24 unique beys, Mendes (left) tells us that his most expensive one costs Rs 10,000. "The original beys are rarely available for sale in India. And even if they are, they will be available at costs relatively higher than in Japan, which produces most of these." But battles that he hosts are focused on having fun, and although competitive, they do not get as intense as the ones in New York City or Japan, that see frequent beyblade challenges, and larger communities.

Explaining how the game works, he tells us that after a sign-up round, Mendes sits with a spreadsheet and schedules challenges for all the players. "The players arrive at the venue at their allotted time and stay on if they clear the bracket knockouts [best of three]. This is followed by the semi-finals and the finals round, which are best of five," he elaborates.

Players will get to choose their own beyblades before each battle starts. "The format of the battle is metal fight beyblade standard. Players can assemble their own beyblades by choosing at least three to four different parts. Once they're in the battle, they either win by knocking the other beyblade out, or by outlasting it." While the beyblades selected by Mendes are all equally competitive, he reveals that the trick lies in how powerfully you launch it. "The RPM [Revolutions Per Minute] increases if your launch is impactful," he suggests.

Time: October 15; 11 am onwards
At: Doolally Taproom, Multilink House, Khar
Log on to: insider.in

Pick the best
To make your beyblade the strongest in the game, pick Wyvang Dragooon SA165 EWD for the top left corner and Duo Uranus B:D for the bottom right.

- Anthony Stephen Mendes