Why MSSA's Free State Championships are important.

MSSA's 2017 Protea Team that attended IESF's 9th World championships - Busan.

Of course every championship is important when it comes to evaluating just how good a team's training sessions are.

It is only in true competition that teams are able to judge how far they have come, and if honest with themselves, how much further they have to go.

But why is the Free State Championship so important?

For a start, the Free State Championships is the furthest  away from Mind Sports South Africa's 2019 National Team Trials. This means that the pressure is off. Team managers/captains are afforded the opportunity to try out new tactics and new strategies. Such new ideas could lead to better gameplay leading up to the prestigious S A National Championships in December and to the 2019 National Team Trials.

Secondly, team managers/captains may also experiment with the very composition of its teams. 

Should a club have a larger pool of players, not only will a club be able to deliver its best possible team to MSSA's 2019 National Team Trials, but will also promote depth and competitiveness in the club itself.

For any club to survive from year-to-year, a club needs to be competitive and to have a number of athlete.

Thirdly, by participating at MSSA's Free State Championships, a team is able to set up a track record of just how it performs over the year. Such track record is important for the Selection Committee to evaluate the overall performance of the teams under review. Another important tool in this regard is a team's participation in MSSA's Ladders.

Thus any team even remotely interested in qualifying for MSSA's 2019 National Team Trials should therefore seriously consider participating in MSSA's Free State Championships as selection to the national team is often a long term goal that is to be taken very seriously.

Alasdair Donaldson steps up to the plate.

Alasdair Donaldson (VexxedPhoenix) in action at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

For any organization to grow and prosper, it needs the right sort of people. Those running an organization have to have a sense of urgency and professionalism in order to ensure that everything happens on time and that all the 't's' are crossed, and all the 'i's' are dotted.

Even if they are volunteers, they have to still be professional.

There is no doubt that Alasdair is just such a person.

His dedication, attention to detail is without compare. Having earned Provincial colours, Alasdair went on to earn National Federation Colours as then finally Protea Colours. Alasdair too has represented South Africa in two online test matches as well as at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

Alasdair shares  the distinction with Robert 'PandaTank' Botha of being the only males who have been able to get out of the group stages at a World Championships or  at any major international competition.

As Alasdair says, "gaming it not just a hobby, but a serious sport. It requires dedication to both the games and fighting game community. It is an honour and a privilege to have been selected for the National Team and I look forward to representing my country in the games that I love".

With Alasdair's professional attitude, MSSA has made the right decision in appointing him to MSSA's Esports Board of Control.

It is such Board of Control that is responsible for the administration of esports as a sport in South Africa.

For other articles on the Esports Board of control, please see:

• Esmari Swart (VexxedPhoenix) has been appointed to MSSA's Board of Control.
• Esports Board of Control: Angelique “Scarlet” Ramos is appointed.

So you want to play esports for South Africa?

Team Esports South Africa in action against Romania at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

There are only 3 senior Provincial esports championships left before MSSA's National Team Trials (NTT) which are to be held on 2 & 3 June 2018, the race is on to see who will be selected.

The three events left are:

• 23rd North West Championships - 24 & 25 March 2018, and
• MSSA's Annual Online Provincial Championships - 21 April 2018, and
• 17th Mpumulanga Championships - 26 & 27 May 2018.

Trials for any title (period) are always held at the discretion of Mind Sports South Africa.

The venue for the National Team Trials shall be announced within the 1st week of April of each year.

National Team Trials for esports shall be held on 2 and 3 June 2018.

The criteria to qualify for such trials are:

• All Registered Players who win a Regional Championship shall earn an  invitation to National Team Trials.
• All Registered Players that score within the top 20% or top three places, whichever is greater, in a specific Period at a Provincial or National Championship shall earn an invitation to National Team Trials.
• All players who are members of the current Protea Squad automatically earn a berth at the National Team Trials (NTT) should they have met their obligations in terms of participation at MSSA events.

Getting to your own ‘Olympics’.

Without doubt Alasdair Donaldson is  at the top of his game for Tekken 7.

Currently there is a large amount of speculation about esports becoming an official sporting code at the Olympics.

Personally I think that such a move would be good for both esports and the Olympics, but that is not what this article is about.

This article is about the dedication that athletes need to have to get to the top. The Olympics represents all that is good about sport and the very highest levels of sporting prowess and sportsmanship.

In my opinion, to get to the Olympics, or to the top of any field, a person has to be absolutely single-minded. Parties, family gatherings, and other social occasions are attended only when they fit into the schedule of the athlete. Thus even birthdays and made-up holidays take second place o the training and competition schedules of the athlete who is dedicated to get to the top.

Work comes first, pleasure after!

Thus, to truly get to the top of any field, the person must make huge personal sacrifices in order to reach excellence. No worthwhile achievement is attained without an incredible amount of sacrifice and personal self-investment.

Playing in international competition

The BOO! Protea Esports Team that attended IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion in certain quarters about who may, and who is eligible, to play in overseas competition.

The short  answer is that any person may play in any private competition.

Thus any South African gamer may enter ESL, WESG, Dreamhack, ESWC, etc., as those competitions are privately owned and do not form part of the officially recognised circuit.

In fact it has always been part of MSSA's policy to encourage teams to enter such.

It should be noted that MSSA even helped Energy eSports attend the ESWC in 2014 by helping to obtain deferred exams for two members of the team so that they could attend such the event.

MSSA believes that until more teams experience international competition, the standard of gaming in South Africa will not improve.

Thus all clubs should take advantage of National Lottery Funding, as such funding allows for travel to such events.

However, it should be noted that a club team playing in an event in a foreign country does not mean that such team is representing South Africa.

Only a team officially selected by MSSA may claim to represent South Africa.

Only the team so selected may be awarded Protea Colours.

Any queries apropos the above may be directed to mindsportssa@iafrica.com

National CounterStrike: GO Ladder.

Esmari Swart (Revival - IntenSity E-Sports) when at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

Mind Sports South Africa's Ladder for the esports title of CounterStrike: GO saw frenetic activity during the 2017 year with over a hundred games  having been recorded as teams battled their way to the top.

Through hard work Revival (IntenSity E-Sports) under the direction of Esmari Swart was able to capture the title of National Ladder Champions for 2017.

At the beginning of each season, the ladder is reset to be in line with MSSA's official rankings. Thus at the start of the 2018 season, the team 'Awoken' (Hoërskool Wonderboom) once again is listed at the very top of the national ladder.

The question is whether the team will be to hold onto the position in order to take the title at the end of the year.

All gamers wishing to participate in the Ladder are requested to fully acquaint themselves of the rules (https://esportscommentator.blogspot.co.za/2017/12/inter-club-ladder.html)

The ladder is as follows:

National CounterStrike Ladder
Senior
Pos	Name of Player	year	Club
1	Awoken	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom
2	Cedar House	17	Cedar House
3	Cryptid Claws	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom
4	DELTA	17	All Stars
5	Empangeni: csgo	17	Empangeni High School
6	eSpera	17	DF MALAN
7	flikadawist	16	DF Malan
8	GenX Frostwolf	17	Generation X
9	Hoërskool Lichtenburg	17	Hoërskool Lichtenburg
10	Insidious	17	Intensity Esports
11	Limbro's A	17	Fragcon
12	Limitles	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom
13	MC GO 1	17	Maritzburg College
14	Phantom Troupe l Branden	16	Fairmont High School
15	PORAXYSM	16	ALL STAR
16	Pride	17	Parktown Boys
17	PRO	17	People Really Organised
18	QUANTM	17	Curro Klerksdorp
19	Soviet UZ	17	Midstream College
20	Spartans A	17	SAHETI
21	TERA| Qube	16	Anteria
22	VOID	16	St John's College
23	VXP BlaZe	17	VexxedPhoenix
24	VxP Knights	16	VexxedPhoenix
25	WBHS	17	Westville Boys
26	District_Zero	17	Protea Heights Academy
27	Delta 2	17	All Stars
28	Xillir8	16	All Stars
29	Wolfpack	17	KMSC
30	GWH CSGO	17	Glenwood House
31	PRONHS	17	Northcliff High
32	PFU	16	Fairmont High School
33	VxP CSGO	17	VXP
34	Outcast	17	Intensity Esports
35	iE.Revival (17)	17	IntenSity E-Sports
36	Gents	17	Knights Mind Sports Club
37	Limbro's B	17	Fragcon
38	Spartans B	17	SAHETI
39	MC GO 2	17	Maritzburg College
40	All Stars	16	ALL STAR
41	HGH	16	Hoerskool Generaal Hertzog
42	PEPPS	17	PEPPS
43	PG16	16	Parklands College
44	MoMS	17	MoMS
45	Northwood CSGO	17	Northwood High School
46	Raptors	17	BNKR
47	The Nerd Herd	17	Glenwood House
48	VGR146	16	Lofdal
49	K1lljoy5	16	BNKR
50	Tesseract	17	Jeppe Boys
51	Maritzburg College	16	Maritzburg College
52	Winter Wolfes	17	Hoërskool Wonderboom
53	Parklands 4	17	Parklands College

Other National ladders are:

• Senior CounterStrike: GO
• Senior Tekken 7
• Schools Tekken 7

Reviewing the performance of the Protea CounterStrike: GO team

The group stage draw for CounterStrike: GO at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

The BOO! Protea Esports CounterStrike: GO Team faced off against Korea, Romania, Malaysia and the Philippines at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

There is no doubt that the team was in a very hard group with Romania and Korea finishing in 2nd and 3rd place at the championships.

The group could be seen as a group of 'death', however, if the truth be told, any of the four groups could be viewed as groups of death.

At world championship level, there are no easy groups. Even if there were easy groups, the winners of such groups would be quickly dispatched by the more robust teams.

Thus, in my opinion, there is not a single team, professional or amateur, in South Africa that would actually have beaten either Korea or Romania to get out of the group stages.

That means that there is a serious problem with the overall standard of play in South Africa in the CounterStrike: GO esports title.

It also means, in my personal opinion, that MSSA should be looking at the CounterStrike: GO teams from a more developmental point  of view.

SA goes down to South Korea

Brandon Fester and Gregory Wessels (of BOO! Protea Esports Team) congratulating the Korean team on their victory.

After the BOO! Protea League of Legends Esports Team's surprise victory over Russia in the first round of play at IeSF's 9th World Championships - Busan, the South African national team had to face off against the 2016 World Champions - South Korea.

Everyone knew from the get-go that it was not going to be a picnic.

This was going to test the endurance, skill, and determination of the BOO! Protea League of Legends Esports Team and not test character, but reveal it.

The BOO! Protea League of Legends Esports Team started strong holding them off in the early game. However, the  strength and experience  of the South Korean team shone through and eventually helped the Koreans to dominate the young South African team.

Never before has a South African team done so well against a Korean national team.

The BOO! Protea League of Legends Esports Team has now raised the bar for all future South African teams.

BOO! Protea CounterStrike: GO Team faces an uphill struggle.

The draw at IeSF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

2016 saw South Africa  enter a CounterStrike: GO team to IeSF's 8th World Championships - Jakarta.

Such  team had a tough time  at IeSF's 8th World Championships, and South Africa returned with many hard learned lessons.
The lessons learnt were all brought home and helped to select  the 2017 team.

With IeSF's 9th World Championships about to begin, and the South African BOO! Protea CounterStrike: GO Team shall again be faced by strong opposition.

The team is in Group C, and faces Korea, Romania, Malaysia, and Philippines.

Nevertheless, MSSA has faith in the team, and faith in the members of such team, which consists of the following players:

Title	Name	Club	Nick	Residence
CounterStrike: GO	Ryan Van Schalkwyk	IntenSity E-Sports	REvS	Johannesburg
	James Hulett	VexxedPhoenix	scheeR	Pretoria
	Leander Van Schalkwyk	VexxedPhoenix	chappie	Johannesburg
	Esmari Swart	IntenSity E-Sports	EsProxy	Vanderbijl Park
	Rojuan Kuba	ZagAlliance	FrostzR	Cape Town

The full draw is as follows:

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Australia	Finland	Korea	China
Thailand	Russia	Romania	Sweden
Israel	Azerbijan	South Africa	Taiwan
Switzerland	Georgia	Malaysia	Indonesia
		Philippines