Revision of MSSA's 2016 Calendar of events

All members are requested to note that the Management Board has moved the League of Legends On-line Championships to 16 April 2016.

The reason for such decision is to allow MSSA to select its CS:GO, DotA 2, and League of Legends teams at the same time at the National Team Trials in May/June.

The revised Calendar of Events for 2016 is:

2016 Calendar of events

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
20 FEBRUARY	On-line Inter-school Provincial Championships	CS:GO, DotA, FIFA, HearthStone, LOL, SC, TTT II	On-line
5 & 6 MARCH	20th NORTH WEST Championships	All	TBA
26 & 27 MARCH	33rd GAUTENG Championships	All	TBA
9 & 10 APRIL	Provincial School Championships	Board and Figure games	TBA
16 APRIL	Dota 2 Online Championships CounterStrike GO, League of Legends	eSports (PC)	On-line
30 APRIL & 1 MAY	22nd KWAZULU NATAL Championships	All	TBA
28 & 29 MAY	15th MPUMALANGA Championships	All	TBA
28 MAY	FINANCIAL AGM	Meeting	TBA
25 & 26 JUNE	13th FREE STATE Championships	All	TBA
30 & 31 JULY	SA School Championships	Board, Figure and eSports	Cape Town
13 AUGUST	StarCraft II, Hearthstone	eSports (PC)	On-line
27 & 28 AUGUST	21st WESTERN CAPE Championships	All	TBA
TBA	Indigenous Games	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA
24 & 25 SEPTEMBER	16th EASTERN CAPE Championships	All	TBA
29 & 30 OCTOBER	6th LIMPOPO Championships	All	TBA
3 & 4 DECEMBER	30th S A NATIONAL Championships	All	TBA
4 DECEMBER	33rd NATIONAL CONVENTION	Annual General Meeting	As per 30th S A NATIONAL Championships
TBA	SRSA's S A Schools Championships	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA

Notes:

1. International events still need to be included.
2. Inter-Provincial events need to be included
3. Inter-regional events need to be included
4. Regional Championships need to be included.
5. Free State is moved to earlier in the year.
6. National Team Trials still need to be included

Introduction of MORTAL KOMBAT X into MSSA Championships

MSSA's Management Board has agreed to include MORTAL KOMBAT X in the game titles offered for the 2016 Provincial and National Championships.

For more on the game, see:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat_X

As such the Schedule for Provincial and  National Championships  has  been amended for such game title.

Saturday
Time	StarCraft II	PES (Pro Evolution Scoccer)	League of Legends (LoL)	HearthStone
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues
10H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts
11H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues
12H00	Round 5 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts
12H45		Round3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	TEKKEN TTII	PES (continued)	LoL (continued)	Hearthstone (continued)
14H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00	Round 5 Starts
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close
SUNDAY:
Time	Dota 2	CounterStrike:GO	FIFA '16	MORTAL KOMBAT X
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues
10H30	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts
11H15	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues
12H00	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts
12H45	Round 3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	Dota 2 (continued)	CounterStrike:GO  (continued)	FIFA '16	MORTAL KOMBAT X
14H00	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close

Professionals need to be disciplined

Several years ago while  in Cape  Town on business, I had  the good fortune to stay in the Cullinan  Hotel in Cape Town at the same time as that well known South African rugby team, the Blue Bulls.

Having finished my meetings  quite late at night, I dragged myself off to bed, just as a raucous and celebratory Blue Bulls team  arrived from having played and won.

Too tired to care, I fell asleep, only to be woken in the very early hours by a still celebrating team.

Wishing  to get some sleep (as I still  had business to conduct the  next day), I opened my  door and shouted at the team to  be quiet.

Immediately there was silence, I was content, went back to sleep, and thought nothing of it.

Once Sol had risen, I descended to have breakfast, and was joined by my two colleagues.

While eating  our breakfasts, and discussing our plan of action for the day, the entire Blue Bulls team descended on  us in single file with the manager at the head.

The Manager politely requested that he be allowed to interrupt, on on being given permission, proceeded to apologise for the teams behaviour.

Of course, we all accepted the apology, but the  Manager was not satisfied until each team  member apologised.

The three of us were amazed!

Even  though this was one of the finest professional provincial rugby teams  in South Africa the  team would  still show exemplary discipline and be humble when called upon to do so.

Now, in all my years that I have  been involved with draughts, checkers, esports  and wargames, I have not yet found  a so-called 'professional' that  would  act with a tenth  of the discipline  as exhibited by the Blue Bulls team.

Mind  sports players who consider themselves to be professionals act with unbridled arrogance.

Whereas the  best rugby players will accept the authority of National and Provincial bodies (and those  that represent such  bodies), the so-called professional eSports players, in South Africa, continue to put themselves  at odds  with such, and then wonder why they are  not included in national teams.

Every eSports player in South Africa by now should be aware that  the only way into an official South  African national  team is  through official MSSA championships.

Energy Gaming (eN) and Bravado (Bvd) realised the above  in 2013. Thus in 2013 the DotA 2 team was made up by both teams to give SA its strongest ever DotA 2 team.

2016 is  pregnant with possibilities.

MSSA will be selecting a whole host of teams to represent South Africa.

The question is, are you up to it?

MSSA leads and other follow...

Talent may be found everywhere!

Looking  back at  MSSA's  involvement in eSports, it has beginning to become  far clearer that MSSA leads and all  other gaming bodies follow.

Even going back to 2005 when MSSA started  its online gaming league, it was others that copied the MSSA league and then called it its own.

Consequently  after 2009 MSSA ceased running its  on-line  league as  the recreational purposes of  the league were being  taken care of, and  MSSA was able to concentrate on its core business of getting Protea Teams  ready for international competition.
iions,
Part of getting teams  ready was the programme of bringing top players out to South Africa.

In 2008,  MSSA brought out SK Gaming to  help get South African players  to understand what is required  in  international  competition.

Then again, thanks to MegaRom and Internet Solutions, MSSA brought out Silvui 'NightEnd' Lazar.

Both events proved  to be most enjoyable and helped many players understand just what is  needed to make it  on an  international stage.

To  create a truly top international  team, development has to be extended to as many of South Africa's  regions.

It is really only MSSA, through  its  sponsorship from MWEB, that  incurs the expense of operating championships  in the less profitable areas of South Africa.

If eSports  is to transform in South Africa, then there must be championships  held  in every part of South Africa so that all latent talent may  be discovered and developed.

2016 Schedule for MSSA eSports Provincial and National LAN Championships

MSSA's eSports Board of Control has released the 2016 Schedule for all MSSA eSports Provincial and National LAN Championships.

It must  be noted that  further titles may be  added.

Saturday
Time	StarCraft II	PES (Pro Evolution Scoccer)	League of Legends (LoL)	HearthStone
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues
10H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts
11H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues
12H00	Round 5 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts
12H45		Round3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	TEKKEN TTII	PES (continued)	LoL (continued)	Hearthstone (continued)
14H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00	Round 5 Starts
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close
SUNDAY:
Time	Dota 2	CounterStrike:GO	FIFA '16
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues
10H30	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts
11H15	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues
12H00	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts
12H45	Round 3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	Dota 2 (continued)	CounterStrike:GO  (continued)	FIFA '16
14H00	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close