The WFH League is back for Season 3!

Following on from the success of the competition last year, Esports Insider is proud to announce the return of the WFH League for a third season.

Co-operated by ESI and Platform, the ‘corporate’ esports competition sees colleagues team up and go head-to-head against other companies in a multi-game tournament series.

This year, however, the event is expanding even further with WFH League Season 3 featuring three campaigns - Spring, Autumn, Winter - across 2021. The first of which will take place online from May 10th - 30th.

For our Spring event, three tournaments will take place as companies put their pride on the line (kind of) in Rocket League (3v3), CS:GO Wingman (2v2), and Brawlhalla (2v2).

Eight teams will compete in each tournament for prizes and the chance to gain WFH League eternal glory. In past seasons, the likes of Razer, Noblechairs, and G-Science have provided prizes for the event.

In a joint statement by WFH League’s Co-founders, Esport Insider Managing Director, Sam Cooke, and Platform COO, Nicolo Portunato, the duo commented: “We are extremely excited to announce the return of WFH League for its third season. After a successful 2020, we have upped the stakes by adding three seasonal events this year for Season 3 and we cannot wait to see everything unfold on May 10th!

Last year we very much found our feet and made significant improvements from Season 1 to Season 2, which was nicely reflected in the viewership on Twitch. We really appreciated the support of the industry and community, indeed all those involved in making it happen, and we can’t wait to kick off our third season, especially since in the Autumn it’ll include our first IRL edition at Platform in London.”

As in previous editions, WFH League has partnered with UK-based charity SpecialEffect in order to raise even more money for a good cause. Over the last two seasons, all those involved with the WFH League helped to raise over £3,500.

Tom Donegan from SpecialEffect said: “The WFH League was one of the highlights of 2020 and we’re delighted to be the charity partner again in 2021. Gamers raising money to support their fellow gamers, while having a laugh at the same time – it doesn’t get much better than that!”

Home schooled learners may participate in all MSSA events.

 

MSSA President, Amanda Pakade, encourages home schooled learners to participate.

Despite the ravages of COVID-19 Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) will continue to run as many of its events as feasibly possible. 

Many learners are of the opinion that only learners at schools may participate in the league, but with the ever increasing number of learners being schooled at home, the league is also open to home schools.

Thus home schooled learners are able to enjoy the camaraderie of competition and take on well established schools like Northcliff High School, Reddam, Curro, and others.

The process is simple.

Just as a normal school has to affiliate, so does the home school. Please read: Affiliation: Schools

For further information, please contact MSSA on mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com or on WhatsApp: 078 069 3089.

Also read:

• Affiliation: Schools
• Affiliation: Private clubs
• Affiliation: Advantages of affiliation
• Calendar of  Events: 2021
• Colours: Regional Colours
• Entry Dates: All championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's High School Championships.
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Student Championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Premier Championships.
• Events: Provincial Online Student Championships - 10 April 2021
  
• Events: 2021 On-line Provincial Championships - 17 April 2021
• Ladder: National Ladder Champions
• Notices: MSSA's new Players' Representative - Jessie Joubert (ZAG Academy
• Notices: Lenel Human makes history.
• Notices: Sahil Ebrahim of PES Society elected as MSSA's Western Cape Provincial Director.
• Notices: Derby events
• Notices: Derby events -the way forward.
  
• Notices: Learners may play for both private and school clubs.
• Notices: Home schooling
• Notices: Publishing your club news.
• Notices: Transfer season
• Notices: Calling all those wishing to serve as Selectors to volunteer
• Notices: The various events held by Mind Sports South Africa.
• Rankings: Clash Royale
• Rankings: Morabaraba
• Rankings: Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)
• Selection: New National Team Selection Criteria
• Selection: Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• Test Match results: South African Protea DotA 2 team rises triumphant.
• Test Match results: DOTA2: South Africa vs Azerbaijan
• Trailblazers: Michelle Marder

Global Esports Federation appoints first Chief Executive Officer

 Paul J. Foster assumes role amid epic growth

Anticipating an even-greater surge in its growth and eyeing the acceleration of esports as a key driver of the economy worldwide, the Global Esports Federation announces the appointment of Paul J. Foster as Chief Executive Officer.

 

Foster will assume the role as GEF’s first CEO. Since last April, he has served as Chief Operating Officer. He has been instrumental in overseeing the Singapore-based organization’s advance since worldwide launch in December 2019 – the GEF now counting more than 80 Member Federations and well over 100 partnerships.

 

Such growth, amid a global pandemic, is testament both to Foster’s capability and capacity and to the demand the GEF has confronted, Chris Chan, President of the Global Esports Federation said. He added that the GEF intends in the coming months to launch initiatives to power up recruitment and enhance diversity, equality, and inclusion with a mandate to increase size and scale.

 

“With esports becoming increasingly relevant both to the broader economy and to the development of many countries, the GEF is poised for tremendous growth,” Chan said. “The GEF Board and I trust in Paul’s vision and leadership.”

 

Foster said, “The GEF offers a global, inclusive, and connected platform. When we began this journey, we had a framework for potential, a bunch of ideas. We simply said, everyone is welcome, a notion of radical inclusivity. We engaged constantly, guided only by a set of values. From that naturally came a spirit of boundless innovation. That drives our work.”

 

In 2021, the GEF intends both to stage the first of its global events portfolio, the Global Esports Games, and intensify regional action through its #worldconnected initiatives – integrating the rise of active esports along with virtual and digital forms of sport.

 

The GEF Board has affirmed a commitment to lifelong learning that creates opportunities via internships and management positions across all verticals. Partnerships are in progress with major universities. Plans are underway for GEF centers in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the MENA region.

 

As the GEF evolves, it remains a committed partner in driving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – in pursuit of its deep social responsibility to connect and convene, and in alignment with the UN Secretary-General’s call to a “Decade of Action.”

 

Foster said he looks forward to unlocking the many opportunities: “I’m grateful for the trust of all of our members and our Board, the entire esports community. We are all – all of us, together – just getting started. We call it #worldconnected.”

Also read:

• The Shaping the Future of Esports Today
• Global Esports Federation Approves Commissions for 2021
• Inaugural #worldconnected Series Launched to Convene the World’s Esports Community
• Christophe Dubi on the Future of the Olympic Games.

Reminder: 2021 Online Provincial Championships - 17 April 2021

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is proud to announce that it shall host the 2020 Online Provincial Championships, which will offer local players the opportunity to qualify for selection to the national squad.

MSSA's 2020 Online Provincial Championships is the third last senior provincial event prior to the start of the selection process.

The championship shall be held on 17 April 2020.

Game titles to be played are:

Period/genre	Title	Platform	Age restriction	Players
Shooter	Call of Duty: Black Ops (Online only)	PC/console	18	4 v 4
	CS GO	PC	16	5 v 5
	Paladins	PC/console	12	5 v 5
Sport	FIFA '21	Console	3	1 v 1
	PES 2021	Console	3	1 v 1
MOBA	DotA 2	PC	12	5 v 5
	Clash Royale	Mobile	12	1 v 1
Fighting	Tekken 7	Console	16	1 v 1
	Street Fighter V	Console	12	1 v 1
Card	HearthStone	Various	7	1 v 1

Tournament Structure:

As per the MSSA's rules, being:

• If less than six teams, the championship shall be a Round Robin Championship

• If 6 to 10 teams enter the championship there shall be four rounds as played to the Swiss System

• If 11 or more teams enter the championship there shall be five rounds as played to the Swiss System

Eligibility:

• Any team consisting of players who are Registered Players affiliated to a MSSA member club may enter.

Entry fee:

• Entry is R100.00 per Registered Player.

• Only fully-paid-up Registered Players may participate in this event.

Entries:

• Entries need to be submitted on or before 15 April 2021.

• The entry form may be downloaded from: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ERR6815uVjSMu4t5KkRxYqGJ_AA88kkz31qRgksASc/edit#gid=287696184 and submitted to mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com

Medals:

Medals shall be handed over to winners at the next MSSA LAN that they attend. 

      MALE:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.

• UNDER 24: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.

• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals. 

        FEMALE:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.

• UNDER 24: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.

• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals.

Colours:

• Protea Colours: Only Players that are selected to represent South Africa in International Championships may earn National Colours if the Protea Colours Board's criteria are met.

• National Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a National Championship will earn National Colours.

• Provincial Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a Provincial Championship will earn Provincial Colours. All Players who score within the top 50% in a specific Period at a Provincial Championship, and who also score within the top 50% at a National Championship in the same period and in the same year, will earn Provincial Colours.

General:

• The championship shall be played on: 17 April 2021

• The first round will start at 09H00. Players shall be given 60 minutes to complete each round.

• The championship is accredited as being of the same status as a provincial championship. 

• The championship shall be used for the awarding of provincial colours;

• The championship shall be used for the awarding of medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in Premier, Under 24, and School categories;

• The championship shall be used for the ability to qualify for National Team Squad.

• All medals shall be awarded to the recipients at a MSSA LAN championships.

Umpires:

• Umpires may only be contacted over Skype on the day of competition. Any communication not on the Skype channel shall be entered into.

Entries:

• All clubs must enter their teams via the Google Drive.

• To enter, the club must complete the Google Drive document. The entry form may be found on Google Drive. Clubs are to download the entry form, completed the downloaded form, and e-mail it to Mind Sports South Africa. The link for such form is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M07rv0ER9jqE25IqMNZqGlsUPqJaE_X2/edit#gid=1844490715

• Payment shall be effected before start of play.

Ladder:

• For games to count for the National Ladder, teams must advise the Umpires before the start of each match.

Shout casting:

• MSSA shall decide who may shout-cast the games.
• Anybody wishing to be appointed as a Shout-Caster must apply in writing to mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com

Also read:

• Affiliation: Schools
• Affiliation: Private clubs
• Affiliation: Advantages of affiliation
• Calendar of  Events: 2021
• Colours: Regional Colours
• Entry Dates: All championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's High School Championships.
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Student Championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Premier Championships.
• Events: Provincial Online Student Championships - 10 April 2021
  
• Events: 2021 On-line Provincial Championships - 17 April 2021
• Ladder: National Ladder Champions
• Notices: MSSA's new Players' Representative - Jessie Joubert (ZAG Academy
• Notices: Lenel Human makes history.
• Notices: Sahil Ebrahim of PES Society elected as MSSA's Western Cape Provincial Director.
• Notices: Derby events
• Notices: Derby events -the way forward.
• Notices: Publishing your club news.
• Notices: Transfer season
• Notices: Learners may play for both private and school clubs.
• Notices: Calling all those wishing to serve as Selectors to volunteer
• Notices: The various events held by Mind Sports South Africa.
• Rankings: Clash Royale
• Rankings: Morabaraba
• Rankings: Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)
• Selection: New National Team Selection Criteria
• Selection: Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• Test Match results: South African Protea DotA 2 team rises triumphant.
• Test Match results: DOTA2: South Africa vs Azerbaijan
• Trailblazers: Michelle Marder

Results - Western Cape Online Provincial Championships

 

Rafeeq Cariem (PES Society) of Cape Town

With Coronavirus (COVID -19) still holding South Africa in its pestilential grasp, Mind Sport South Africa (MSSA) is still unable to hold its LAN championships for all esports titles. As such the online option will remain the popular option until the member clubs have determined a suitable way forward.

The online provincial championship system ensures that its esports athletes are not compromised in terms of being able to qualify for provincial colours and for possible inclusion in South Africa's National Protea Team to attend International Esports Federation's 12th World Championships in November in Eilat later this year, MSSA created the Online Provincial Championships.

Esports athletes were able to play in the comfort and safety of their own homes and are still capable of competing on provincial, and even, a national level.

In such championships, Oakhill School continued to dominate most of the events consolidating the school club as the major force in esports in the Western Cape while PES Society has entrenched itself as the leading club in the country for Pro Evolution Soccer.

The winners of MSSA's 2021 Online Provincial Championships are as follows:

Title	Name of player/team	Club	Colours awarded
Clash Royale - Premier	Tom Seddon	Oakhill School
Clash Royale - High Schools	Ethan Bright	Oakhill School
Counter-Strike: GO	ZAG CSGO	ZAG Academy	Western Cape
FIFA - Premier	Jonas Lorse	Oakhill School	Western Cape
PES - Premier	Rafeeq Cariem	PES Society	Western Cape
Tekken 7 - Premier	Jonathan Brown	Team PlayBell	Western Cape
Sportsmanship Award	Rafeeq Cariem	PES Society

Also read:

• Affiliation: Schools
• Affiliation: Private clubs
• Affiliation: Advantages of affiliation
• Calendar of  Events: 2021
• Colours: Regional Colours
• Colours: School Provincial Colours
• Entry Dates: All championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's High School Championships.
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Student Championships
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Premier Championships.
• Events: Provincial Online Student Championships - 10 April 2021
  
• Events: 2021 On-line Provincial Championships - 17 April 2021
• Events: Combined Online Provincial Championships for Schools - 24 April 2021
• Ladder: National Ladder Champions
• Notices: MSSA's new Players' Representative - Jessie Joubert (ZAG Academy
• Notices: Lenel Human makes history.
• Notices: Sahil Ebrahim of PES Society elected as MSSA's Western Cape Provincial Director.
• Notices: Derby events
• Notices: Derby events -the way forward.
• Notices: Publishing your club news.
• Notices: Transfer season
• Notices: Learners may play for both private and school clubs.
• Notices: Calling all those wishing to serve as Selectors to volunteer
• Notices: The various events held by Mind Sports South Africa.
• Rankings: Clash Royale
• Rankings: Morabaraba
• Rankings: Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)
• Results -  Western Cape Online Provincial Championships
• Selection: New National Team Selection Criteria
• Selection: Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• Test Match results: South African Protea DotA 2 team rises triumphant.
• Test Match results: DOTA2: South Africa vs Azerbaijan
• Trailblazers: Michelle Marde