Tuesday, 21 January 2025

MSSA CONFIRMS ITS ENTRY TO WEC25


Mind Sports South Africa's President, Colin Webster, today confirmed that MSSA has entered International Esports Federation's (IESF) 17th World Championships which is to be known as WEC25.

MSSA has been a staunch, and loyal member, of IESF since 2009, and has participated in every single IESF World Championship since 2009. 

MSSA has always advocated greater inclusion of events for females at such World Championships. With Colin Webster having served on IESF's Board from 2013 to 2020, the number of events specifically for females has grown in number. It was in 2018 that South Africa fielded the first all female Counter-Strike team at IESF's 10th World Championships - an act which many see as a forerunner of IESF implementing an all female Counter-Strike event at its 14th World Championships.

It is therefore not surprising that MSSA has thus entered all IESF esports titles on offer at IESF's 17th World Championships - especially the female events.
Jessica Greef, captain of MSSA's 
2024 female Protea Counter
Strike 2 Esports Team.

The esports titles entered by MSSA are:

  • Counter-Strike 2 (open)
  • Counter-Strike 2 (female)
  • DOTA 2 (open) 
  • eFootball (Open) 
  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (open)
  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (female)
  • PUBG mobile (open)

Colin Webster stated, "This is the largest entry that South Africa has ever made, and MSSA is confident that the 2025 Protea Team will be the strongest team ever to represent South Africa as the Protea Team'.

Colin then added, "The teams that attended both AEC24 and WEC24 have left solid foundations on which to build. MSSA is thus excited to see the performance of the teams that will be selected in March 2025 to represent South Africa".

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Saturday, 18 January 2025

Esports titles selected for all MSSA's 2025 High School and Primary School Championships and leagues.

 

Young Irene Banda (of Sunnyridge Primary School) is ecstatic that she now has reached age to play in official MSSA leagues and championships.

The growth of esports starts at school level. Schools are the breeding ground where champions are fashioned by schools which have the interest of learners at heart.

Thus it is not surprising to see that from time- to-time the entire Protea Esports Team, or even substantial parts thereof, that participate in international esports events consist of learners. One merely has to think of Avonique Van Rooyen a young learner at Hoërskool Oosterlig who is generally acknowledged to be one of the world's rising stars in the female CounterStrike 2 division. 

Team selection underpins Mind Sports South Africa's faith in promoting learners into the upper echelons and giving as many players as possible the chance to excel at the highest levels.

In 2024, the following learners represented South Africa as members of Protea Esports Teams:

NameTitleWhere representedSchool
Ryan CaoDotA2SochiCrawford College
Howie ChenDotA2SochiCrawford College
Reneilwe MaphasaTekken 8MoscowBenoni High School
Aryan PillayDotA2SochiCrawford College
Srivar PremjeethDotA2SochiCrawford College
Avonique van RooyenCounter Strike 2Casablanca, RiyadhHoërskool Oosterlig

MSSA's school championships and leagues too run strictly in adherence to the laws in South Africa and take into account the physical and mental health of the participants.

Thus all games are played under acceptable supervision to prohibit unsavoury practices. As a  result, age restrictions are enforced much to the chagrin of a number of recreational gamers. It must always be remembered that games exist within society's norms.

MSSA is thus totally committed to ensure the validity of the event, the results attained, and the colours awarded.

The esports titles to be played in all MSSA's school championships and leagues are as follows:

High School:

Period/genreTitlePlatformAge restrictionPlayers
ShootingCounter Strike 2PC165 v 5
Sport
EA SPORTS™ FC 25Console121 v 1
eFootballConsole121 v 1
Rocket LeaguePC121 v 1 and 3 v 3
MOBA
DotA 2PC125 v 5
Clash RoyaleMobile121 v 1
Clash of ClansMobile121 v1
Mobile Legends Bang BangMobile125 v 5
FightingStreet Fighter 6Console121 v 1

Primary School:

Period/genreTitlePlatformAge restrictionPlayers
Sport
EA SPORTS™ FC 25Console121 v 1
eFootballConsole121 v 1
Rocket LeaguePC121 v 1 and 3 v 3
MOBA
Clash RoyaleMobile121 v 1
Clash of ClansMobile121 v1

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Thursday, 9 January 2025

WADA's 2025 Prohibited List and revised TDSSA


The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that the 2025 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods and version 10.0 of the Technical Document for Sport-Specific Analysis came into force on 1 January 2025.

Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes
Further examples were added to the following substance classes to help athletes and their entourage better identify prohibited substances.

  • S0. Non-approved substances

  • S4. Hormone and metabolic modulators,

  • S5. Diuretics and masking agents, and

  • S6. Stimulants.

As per WADA Code Article 21.1.1, Article 21.2.1, and Article 21.3.1, it is our role and responsibility to be knowledgeable of and comply with all anti-doping policies and rules adopted under the WADA Code which apply to them.

For more general details about anti-doping, you can contact your country's National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) or visit the IESF website.

Summary of Major Changes from TDSSA 9.0 to TDSSA 10.0
As a position of the International Federation of esports, IESF has cooperated with WADA to create TDSSA 10.0, which contains a new appendix that includes minimum levels of analysis.

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Saturday, 28 December 2024

Esports titles selected for all MSSA's 2025 Student Championships.

The countries that MSSA's Protea Student Team played against in Sochi in Russia in November 2024.

In 2024 Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) held its seventh annual Provincial Online Student Championships. The Student Championships formed the basis for the selection of the Student Championships for the the student team that MSSA sent to Russia in September 2024.

Any student of any South African tertiary institution (University, colleges, and TVET's) may participate, regardless of whether the institution is MSSA affiliated, or regardless if the player is registered, or not. Thus every student is afforded the opportunity of qualifying for the Student National Protea Team Trials.

It may interest readers to note that the majority of esports athletes that have represented South Africa as members of the official Protea Teams have done so while being students at a tertiary educational institution.

However, it should be noted that only official teams entered by University Clubs affiliated to MSSA or the Sports Councils may use the tertiary institution's name. Also, only Registered Players qualify for Protea team selection.

MSSA's Student championships allow students from all over the country to test their mettle against each other in an official championship that has the following benefits:

  • Enable students to earn Student Provincial Colours, and
  • Qualify for selection for the National Squad, and
  • Earn medals. The medals earned are awarded at MSSA's LAN Championships.

All the titles to be played at such event are:

Period/genreTitlePlatformAge restrictionPlayers
Shooting
CS 2PC165 v 5
PUBGMMobile181 v 1
Sport
EA SPORTS™ FC 25Console121 v 1
eFootballConsole121 v 1
Rocket LeaguePC121 v 1 and 3 v 3
MOBA
DotA 2PC125 v 5
Clash RoyaleMobile121 v 1
Clash of ClansMobile121 v1
Mobile Legends Bang BangMobile125 v 5
Fighting
Tekken 8Console161 v 1
Street Fighter 6Console121 v 1

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