Leading the pack.

Sk Gaming ( including 'Loda' seated on the left) with MSSA's ACER Protea Team in 2008 at the Old Edwardian Society, Johannesburg.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has long been in the forefront of esports – not only in South Africa, but in the world.

In South Africa alone, MSSA took the lead by running its first esports competition (in WarCraft) in 1998. I remember it as if it was yesterday.

Some of the milestones achieved by MSSA are:

• Being the oldest national federation for esports in the world
• Is purely volunteer run
• Being a founder member of SASCOC
• Getting esports recognised as an accredited sport
• Held the first competitions for females in South Africa
• Consistently sends national teams overseas since 2005
• Started inter school championships and competitions in 2010
• Started the first online league in South Africa in 2005
• Hosts more LANs in more towns, cities, regions and provinces than any other organisation in each and every year
• The only organisation that brings out a Calendar of Events out for esports at least 6 months prior to the start of the year

Yet, even with these Herculean steps forward in promoting esports, none of the steps would have been successfully completed without the loyalty, dedication, and resourcefulness of so many of the volunteers and sponsors who have put their hands up over time to serve the growth and development of esports in South Africa.

However, it does not stop here. There is so much more to be done.

Not only are their always new barriers to break, but there is always the day-to-day running to be done.

MSSA today is better and stronger than it has ever been, and intends to remain at the forefront of esports.

Opportunities

Team Esports Russia with Team Esports South Africa.

Almost everybody is  aware of the characterisation of 'Old Man Time', after all pictures of the 'Old Man' surface at the end of every year.

However, few seem to know of the way in which 'Opportunity' is represented. Opportunity is also drawn as an old man, but, with a difference. He has a long forelock of hair and is bald at the back.

The message for such is quite clear, the person who comes across 'Opportunity' must grab him immediately, because once he passes, there is nothing there to grab, and Opportunity is then gone forever.

So it is with all life. Opportunities come and go, and only those brave enough, and swift of mind have the sense to grab it. Just don't remind me of 'Bitcoin'...

National Team Trials is just one such opportunity.

Any Registered Player that qualifies for such Trials, and plays in such trials has a chance to be selected for the official Protea team.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has also had a long history in sending teams overseas, and for esports, as done so for every year since 2005, except for 2008.

In 2008, MSSA brought SK Gaming out to South Africa to play in the 2008 ACER African Continental Championships as all 'Loda' fans will well remember. Photo's of the event may be seen on https://www.facebook.com/pg/mindsportssa/photos/?tab=album&album_id=147780669007

Thus  it is strongly recommended that all gamers take the opportunity to try to qualify for National Team Trials - it is your chance to shine on an international stage.

One can only wonder...

'Loda' in South Africa in 2008

Every December and January,  South Africa television stations are awash with cricket.

Don't get me wrong, I find cricket to be nice enough. I mean, even some of my best friends have,  and do, play  cricket.

Why, I have even introduced SK Gaming to  the game.

Yes, SK Gaming played the Protea eSports Team in cricket inn 2008, and even though bvd_Cent was there to help the Protea eSports Team, the Swedes still chalked up an impressive victory....

But I  digress!

The point  is, while watching the  seemingly endless hours of coverage, my mind wandered.

Would not ANY other sport be as popular, or perhaps even more so if they received the same amount of coverage as cricket?

The answer is undeniably, yes for many sports.

Several years ago SASCOC stated that  it was going  to start its own TV channel. I do not think that there was a voice in opposition to that noble statement.

Unfortunately it was not to be. The idea seem to die on the board-room table, and nothing more about it was ever said again.

Certainly I believe that there is room for a dedicated sports channel. There is more than enough content, and, with over 100 sporting codes, the channel will have a huge following.

How does SA get professional gamers?

2014 MWEB Protea eSports Team for DotA 2

The short answer is - to pay them!

However, in order to pay gamers to play, there is a lot of 'back-end' work tat has to be done.

For South Africa to have professional gamers, the competitions have to become sustainable by having:

Paying spectators, 

Sponsorships that run from year to year,

A well structured system, 

Gamers that abide by the structure, 

A common vision shared by the majority of those involved.

Mind Sports South africa has over the years developed properly structured systems which start at school level and end at the selection of National teams which then compete on an international level. Through MSSA the following number of eSports players have played against international teams:

Year	Number of gamers
2005	5
2007	8
2008	50*
2009	2
2010	4
2011	4
2012	9
2013	25
2014	13

'Loda' and other members of SK Gaming at the Old edwardian Society in Johannesburg

* In 2008 SK Gaming was brought out to South Africa by MSSA. SK Gaming not only participated in official test matches on behalf of Sweden but also participated in the 2008 African Continental Championships which gave a total of ten teams the opportunity to play against them.

MSSA's dedication in getting teams to play on an international level is unsurpassed by any other organisation in South Africa.

It should however be noted that eNergy eSports, and Bravado both sent a team overseas in 2013, while eNergy sent one overseas in 2014, and Bravado went overseas in 2015 on their own account.

However, the press received by the National eSports Team eclipses the press received by any other. The MWEB Protea eSports Team is well known to every gamer, and in many households in South Africa. Such team is often interviewed by the foreign press. The team is too much loved overseas by its peers and by the shoutcasters alike!

The Protea Badge does wonders for the image and accreditation of the team.

It is only through a concerted effort with all working with MSSA that South Africa will be able to produce true professional gamers.

Broken promises!

I have just seen on the DGL website that Danil “Dendi” Ishutin is no longer coming out to rAge.


I was amazed to see how quite everybody is on the matter.


No outrage, no despair – nothing!


Makes me wonder if anybody out there even reads the Do Gaming page any more.


But more importantly, it shows how unfairly a very small group of gamers treat the MSSA.


Since 2005, as the MSSA claims, they have sent a team every year overseas except for 2008 when the MSSA brought the mighty SK Gaming DotA and CounterStrike teams to South Africa. See http://www.sk-gaming.com/video/58117-Loda_vs_the_giraffe for Loda's romantic adventure with a giraffe.

The 'community' was up in arms over the MSSA's decision as many gamers (very short-sightedly) felt that the money should be spent on prize money rather than bringing the SK heavy-weights to South Africa.


I feel the MSSA did the right thing.


Bearing in mind that the MSSA is a private association that is sponsored by companies, and does not generate profits of its own from trading, you can only realise how difficult it must be for the MSSA.


Yet, the MSSA has never once reneged on a promise to either send a team overseas, or to bring a team here.


Yet still, a very small cadre of discontents complain.


But what the Dendi affair does tell me is that it is not so easy to bring players here or to send them over there.


The fact that the MSSA consistently does it on a shoe-string budget tells me that the MSSA has the will, the drive and the commitment.



(The photo of SK comes off the MSSA's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.147780669007.140362.146018324007&type=3 )