Tshwarelo Tshwane continues to shine.

Hoërskool Vryberger learner, Tshwarelo Tshwane (Knights Mind Sports Club) has successfully moved up from Primary School to High School division.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) held its annual Northern Cape Online Championships on Saturday, 28 January 2023.

Even though the championship was plagued by loadshedding, MSSA and all the participants put their best foot forward and triumphed by holding a highly successful championship.

Tshwarelo Tshwane while in Primary School in 2022, won the Primary School section for the Clash Royale esports title and earned himself National Primary School Colours.

Now attending High School, Hoërskool Vryburger in Primrose, Tshwarelo found a much stronger field. Facing learners from four provinces, Tshwarelo managed to hold his own.

Fighting off esports athletes far more seasoned than himself, Tshwarelo finally ended up in first place in the High School division in the Cash Royale esports title.

"This is indeed an achievement"' stated MSSA President, Colin Webster, and continued to say, "as no Grade 8 learner has ever before won the High School division of a Clash Royale championship in South Africa".

Results: 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships

Karli Roodt (Middelburg Hoërskool) is the first female champion in the esports title of Rocket League to earn Mpumalanga Provincial colours. 

Even with loadshedding causing frustration among both athletes and officials alike,Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was able to still host a verys successful championship were all participants were able to compete and, most of all, have fun.

With the "competent" South African government stating that South Africa will have loadshedding for the next two years, MSSA is already reviewing its policies in regard to load shedding and its online championships.

Load shedding has a huge impact on esports, and may end up causing online console and pc gaming to become elitist as only those who are substantially financially advantaged will be able to compete. It may also result in mobile esports becoming more popular.. A continuous and consistent electricity supply is vital to South Africa developing as a major esports nation.

Nevertheless, MSSA is more than happy with the results from the 2023 Northern Cape Championships. 

There were no less than seven (7) provinces represented, and more importantly, there were more females participating since 2020. Of the 22 athletes who earned Provincial Colours, 7 of such athletes are females.

Special mention must be made of Karli Roodt (Middelburg Hoërskool) who is the first female champion in the esports title of Rocket League to earn Mpumalanga Provincial colours. Karli also qualifies for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team.

The female esports team, VYBN Females, also had a good showing in the CSGO esports title. The team has now earned Provincial colours as well as qualifying for National Team Trials, and may very well end up in the National Squad and/or Protea Team. Of course, CSGO is just  one of the six titles which MSSA has entered to contest at IESF's 15th World Championships. 

IESF's 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:

• Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO)
• Counter-Strike: GO (CSGO) - Female division
• DotA 2
• eFootball
• Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
• PUBGM
• Tekken 7

The winners of the 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships are:

Title	Name of player/team	Club	Colours awarded
Clash of Clans	Martin Venter	Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom	North West
Clash Royale - Premier	John Kim	Middies	Mpumulanga
Clash Royale - Premier - Female	Leone Loftus	Masters of Mind Sports	Free State
Clash Royale	Tshwarelo Tshwane	Knights Mind Sports Club
CS:GO - Premier	ZAG CS	ZAG Academy
	Josh Chapman		Western Cape
	Sebastian Montoya-Pelaez		Western Cape
	Michael de Villiers		Western Cape
	Josh Orelowitz		Western Cape
	Thomas Venables		Gauteng
CS:GO - Premier - Female	VYBN Females	ZAG Academy
	Paula van Vuuren		Western Cape
	Chloe Wilson		Gauteng
	Rialet van Jaarsveld		Gauteng
	Nicky Muller		Gauteng
	Alexandria Kruger		Mpumulanga
FIFA 23 - Premier	Antonie Botes	Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom	North West
PUBGM - Premier	Team eFx	Team eFx
	Sulaimaan Musthan		KwaZulu Natal
	Jared Rubly		Gauteng
	Jarrod Pretorius		Gauteng
	Richard Henry		Eastern Cape
Rocket League - Premier	Nick Matzopoulos	ZAG Academy	Western Cape
Rocket League - Premier - Female	Karli Roodt	Middies	Mumulanga
Rocket League - High Schools	Maree van der Merwe	Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
Tekken 7	Jonathan Brown	Team Playbell	Western Cape
Sportsmanship Award	Desiree Botha	Middies

Additional reading:

• 2023 Calendar of Events
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Events: Northern Cape Online Championships 28 January 2023
• GEF - The Road to Riyadh
• IESF: Titles entered
• Results: 2023 Northern Cape Online Championships
• Selection: Calling all female esports athletes.
• Selection: Passports are required.
• Titles - esports: Premier Championships
• Titles - esports: Student Championships

Passports are required.

All entrants to MSSA's National Team Trials need a current passport. 

Without fail, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) reminds every Registered Player (albeit for Board games, Card games, Esports and/or Wargames) to have a current passport at the time of National Team Trials (NTT).

Not having a passport at NTT is immediate disqualification from the selection process.

The reason is simple. 

In order for MSSA to afford every Registered Player every opportunity to qualify for NTT, MSSA holds its NTT as late as possible. This year sees MSSA holding its NTT on 25 March 2023. Thus there is just no time to allow Registered Players to obtain their passports after NTT.

In the case of the selection of the National Protea Esports Team for IESF's African Regional Qualifiers, to be held in May, and the 15th World Esports Championships (WEC) to be held in Lasi passports, by 31 March 2023. There is therefore simply no time to entertain Registered Players wishing to participate on the international stage who do not have a passport.

Therefore, any Registered Player who has qualified for NTT through any of MSSA's events must ensure that they have a valid South African passport - which is valid for six months after the event.

Additional reading:

• 2023 Calendar of Events
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Events: Northern Cape Online Championships 28 January 2023
• GEF - The Road to Riyadh
• IESF: Titles entered
• Selection: Calling all female esports athletes.
• Selection: Passports are required.
• Titles - esports: Premier Championships
• Titles - esports: Student Championships

Calling all female esports athletes.

Gabriella Isaacs remains South Africa's top female esports achiever. Gabriella finished in second place at IESF's 2012 WEC in the StarCraft Female division - second only to South Korea's Kim "Aphrodite" Young.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has always endeavoured to ensure gender equity in all levels of gaming.

Even when the gaming community was slow to accept such gender equality, MSSA held firm to its principles and ensured that there were females as part of all levels in South Africa.

MSSA has more females on its Board than any other esports federation, and has sent more females than any other national esports federation to compete at IESF's World Esports Championships (WEC). In fact, MSSA, in the form of Marisa Van Der Westhuizen, has had the first-and-only female Team Captain and Flag Bearer at an IESF event.

MSSA's current policies dictate that, where possible, half of all National Team Squads, from which the National Team, is selected, shall be female.

However, in 2022 MSSA did not fare so well. The Female CSGO team was unfortunately unable to attend IESF's 14th WEC and as a result the Namibian team snuck through the African Qualifiers to end in fourth (4th) place in Bali and scoop US$5,000.00 prize money.

There is though, a second chance for South African CSGO female esports athletes. IESF shall be hosting a CSGO event for females at its 15th WEC in Lasi in August 2023.

All that a female esports athlete needs to do to be considered for selection is to:

• Be a member of an affiliated club,
• Participate, and win, a MSSA Regional Championship and/or Derby event,
• Participate, and finish in the top three or top 20% (whichever is greater), of a MSSA Provincial and/or National Championships, and
  
• Be ranked in the top 20 places of the official ladder for females.

Lasi awaits those who are not of faint heart. The benefits of merely being selected for the National Squad and earning National Federation Colours is of huge benefit in everyday life.

Take advantage of the opportunity - you know you want to!

For further information please contact SSA on mindsportscorresspondence@gmail.com or on WhatsApp - 079 069 3089.

Additional reading:

• 2023 Calendar of Events
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Events: Northern Cape Online Championships 28 January 2023
• GEF - The Road to Riyadh
• IESF: Titles entered
• Selection: Calling all female esports athletes.
• Titles - esports: Premier Championships
• Titles - esports: Student Championships

2023 Northern Cape Online Championships pushed forward to January.

So you want to be in the official Protea Esports chance - here is your chance - enter now!

Due to IESF having moved the 15th World Esports Championships (WEC) from December to August, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) will thus be holding its Northern Cape Online Esports Championships on 28 January 2023.

The Northern Cape Online Esports Championships shall offer all Registered Players the opportunity to qualify for selection to the national squad and for the Protea Team.

In order to participate, players must be registered for the 2022/2023 season.

The championship shall be held on 28 January 2023.

Game titles to be played are:

Period/genre	Title	Platform	Age restriction	Players
Shooter	CODM	Mobile	18	4 v 4
	CS GO	PC	16	5 v 5
	PUBGM	Mobile	18	4 v 4
Sport	FIFA '23	Console	12	1 v 1
	eFootball 2023 (Konami)	Console	12	1 v 1
	Rocket League	PC and Console	12	1 v 1
	Sim racing – Assetto Corsa Competizione	PC	12	1
MOBA	DotA 2	PC	12	5 v 5
	Clash Royale	Mobile	12	1 v 1
	League of Legends	PC	12	5 v 5
	Clash of Clans	Mobile	12	1 v1
	Mobile Legends Bang Bang	Mobile	12	5 v 5
Fighting	Tekken 7	Console	16	1 v 1
	Street Fighter V	Console	12	1 v 1
Card	HearthStone	Various	12	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.

Entries:

• Entry is R100.00 per Registered Player.
• Only fully-paid-up Registered Players may participate in this event.
• Entries must be submitted by 27 January 2023.
• To enter, the club must complete the Google Drive document. 
• The entry form may be found on Google Drive. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ERR6815uVjSMu4t5KkRxYqGJ_AA88kkz31qRgksASc/edit#gid=287696184
• Clubs are to download the entry form, completed the downloaded form, and e-mail it to Mind Sports South Africa. 
• Photographs of players must accompany the entry.

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 recognized University.
• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognized 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 recognized University.
• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognized 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: 28 January 2023
• The first round will start at 10H00. 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 not be entered into.

Ladder:

• All games shall count towards the National Ladder.

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 

Additional reading:

• 2023 Calendar of Events
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Events: Northern Cape Online Championships 28 January 2023
• GEF - The Road to Riyadh
• IESF: Titles entered
• Titles - esports: Premier Championships
• Titles - esports: Student Championships