Paris: At first glance, medicine, karate and esports may seem like three worlds with little in common. Yet for Raef Turkistani, they have come together in a single journey shaped by a refusal to choose just one passion. He is a surgeon in his white coat, a karate competitor when he steps onto the mat, and a professional esports player when he picks up a controller.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Raef has found a part of himself in each of these pursuits. Today, he says, esports has become part of who he is, just as he has become part of the world of competitive gaming. Raef's connection with video games began in childhood, so strong that his family eventually tried to steer him away from them.

Instead, he turned to karate, but did far more than simply practice the sport. He excelled, eventually earning a place on the Saudi national team and winning a number of medals and accolades. What began as an attempt to distance him from gaming ultimately led him toward another professional path on which he would make a name for himself.

At the same time, Raef continued his academic journey at King Abdulaziz University, studying medicine and specializing in surgery, a demanding path requiring a high degree of discipline and concentration. Amid long hours of study and the demands of his medical specialization, video games gradually returned to his life, this time as a way to unwind and regain focus.

In an interview with Saudi Press Agency, Raef explained that Tekken in particular became an effective outlet from the pressures of his studies. Its fast-paced matches do not take long to complete, allowing him to release energy and return to his books without letting gaming distract him from his primary goal of pursuing a career in medicine.

While medicine remained his academic and professional pursuit and karate took him to the Saudi national team, Tekken began to occupy a different place in his life. It was no longer simply a game he played in his spare time, but a space where he rediscovered an old passion and found an opportunity to compete. That passion eventually carried him into the professional ranks and onto the world's biggest esports stages.

Now in Paris, as the world's attention turns to the Esports World Cup 2026, Raef is writing a new chapter in his story. This time, he is not there as a doctor or karate athlete, but as a professional esports competitor taking on the world stage.

His journey is a reminder that when passion is matched with discipline, it does not necessarily force us to choose a single path. Sometimes, it can open several paths that ultimately converge in a single identity.