STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Omer Khairy could have never imagined that battling his brothers in video games would lead to an opportunity to play professionally.
The 25-year-old Mariners Harbor resident has turned a childhood sibling rivalry into success on the gaming tournament circuit. Competing in the game “Super Smash Bros. 4” on Nintendo’s Wii U console, he won seven competitions in 2025.
Traversing the East Coast to compete in tournaments held in college gyms, public libraries and as part of conventions, Khairy currently boasts top rankings in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Baltimore, he noted.
“I don’t want to prove anything to anyone,” Khairy said. “I just want to prove it to myself.”
(From left) Omer Khairy alongside his brothers Sherif Khairy and Hanny Khairy at Supernova 2025 in Chantilly, Virginia — the largest “Super Smash Bros.” competition in the world.(Courtesy of Omer Khairy)
“Super Smash Bros. 4” features a roster of nearly 60 iconic Nintendo characters including the beloved Mario from the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise, Link from “The Legend of Zelda” series and Little Mac, the famously diminutive boxer from 1987’s “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out,” in one-on-one fights. The goal is to knock one’s opponent off of an assortment of fighting stages, each with their own unique hazards and challenges.
“It’s a combination of your childhood,” Khairy said. “These characters that everyone knows are all together at once.”
Khairy’s go-to character is Zero Suit Samus, the main protagonist of the space saga “Metroid.” Samus is one of about a dozen playable female characters and is known for her long-range laser attacks and “recovery” abilities — unique skills that allow a character to jump or climb back to the fighting stage after being knocked off and before losing the round or match.
Omer Khairy, 25, sits down to play a few rounds of “Super Smash Bros. 4” on the Nintendo Wii U. Khairy’s go-to character is Zero Suit Samus, the main protagonist of the Nintendo space adventure franchise “Metroid.”(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
Khairy began playing video games across several commercial consoles including Sony’s PlayStation 2, Microsoft’s XBOX 360 and Nintendo’s original Wii system around age 13 with his brothers, Sherif and Hanny, who are now 28 and 22 years old, respectively. While the games were a fun escape, Khairy said his determination to win pushed him to practice longer and more often than his brothers.
“I hated losing to them,” he admitted. “So, I would just grind again and again, honing my skills.”
The dedication paid off. Encouraged by his brothers, Khairy entered his first local “Smash Bros” tournament at a Staten Island video game retailer. After he defeated his opponents handily, the organizers told him he was too skilled for “casuals” — gamers who prefer fun and enjoyment over intense competition — and politely told him to get lost.
Armed with his trusty Nintendo Wii U controller, Khairy will spend hours competing against online opponents during the run-up to a local tournament.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
To expand his reach, in 2022, Khairy began competing in “Smash” tournaments across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and online. His consistently impressive performances eventually caught the attention of Monster Energy and the company offered him a sponsorship, he explained.
The energy drink manufacturer covers his travel expenses, furnishes him with personalized apparel and compensates him monthly in exchange for competing in at least 10 tournaments a year.
In 2025, Khairy continued leveling up his gaming resume by entering 21 tournaments and winning seven, including a three-event winning streak to close out the year. Recent victories have included first-place finishes in Wappinger Falls, New York; Norristown, Pennsylvania; and Edgewater, Maryland, each against fields of more than a dozen competitors.
His toughest challenge came in August at the Supernova tournament in Chantilly, Virginia — the largest “Super Smash Bros.” event in the world. Khairy placed 33rd out of 4,590 competitors. Khairy’s brother Sherif filmed the competition, using the footage to produce a documentary titled “Final Stock 3,″ which captures Khairy’s journey as he makes his way through the tournament.
The event draws players from around the world. Nearly 80,000 fans turned out to take in the tournament, between in-person attendance and online streaming.
By comparison, Khairy explained that local tournaments are significantly more intimate affairs, often attracting between 30 and 50 entrants, with a handful of spectators on-site and dozens of viewers watching online.
Prizes vary as well, Khairy explained. His largest first-place payout came at the Salisbury Centennial tournament at Salisbury University in Maryland, where he won a trophy and an undisclosed amount of money. Local events often require a $10 buy-in, with winnings divvied up among the top finishers. Major tournaments like Supernova can cost nearly $100 just to step into the venue.
As practice is key to remaining competitive, before local tournaments, Khairy will often train for a few hours the night before an event by battling online against anonymous opponents. For major tournaments, he’ll travel to Pennsylvania a week early to train alongside his friend Josh Athon — sometimes playing the game for up to 12 hours a day.
Traveling long distances for uncertain results can be a risk with no reward, he acknowledged. “Can you imagine traveling six hours just to get last place?” he said. “It’s a really big gamble.”
Outside of gaming, Khairy works as a delivery driver on Staten Island. A graduate of Wagner High School, he earned a master’s degree in psychology in 2023 from the College of Staten Island, a background he finds useful at tournaments when consoling and encouraging competitors who are eliminated early.
“I understand what it feels like to lose,” he said.
Khairy, whose parents were born in Egypt, described the competitive gaming community as diverse and welcoming, with players of varying ages, backgrounds and skill levels. And while his family supports his gaming pursuits, they remain concerned about the financial risks, comparing tournament entry fees to gambling — a comparison Khairy respectfully disputes.
“You always want to win the event, even if there’s no money involved,” he said, adding that just the experience of being among his video game-competing peers and showing off his abilities is worth the price of admission.
Khairy’s next major competition is the Zenith eSports Tournament, scheduled for March 14 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event is expected to draw over 200 competitors.
For the moment, as he anxiously awaits stepping back onto the competition floor, Khairy can only consider himself a part-time professional due to work and other commitments.
His long-term goal, however, is clear: to establish himself as one of the best “Super Smash Bros. 4” players in the country — and potentially the world.
“I just like to win,” he said. “It always feels good to get a ‘W.’”