Free shirts!

No doubt the organisers of the MSSA's 31^st Gauteng Provincial LAN (as sponsored by MWEB) are hard at work getting all the last minute 'stuff' done.

Besides checking the names of entrants, making sure there are enough medals, certificates and the like, they are no doubt making sure that they have enough shirts for those who earn provincial colours at the event.

Just as the MSSA colour codes the ribbons on the medals, the MSSA also colour codes the shirts that they give – yes, give – to those that earn them.

Unlike some who sell cheap screen-printed 'T-shirts' for R300.00 each, the MSSA gives away high quality 195gsm embroidered golf shirts to those that earn Regional, Provincial, and National colours.

Wow!

The shirts are easily the same standard of the high-end rugby supporters shirts, so, if you wanted to buy it, you would expect to pay at least R400.00.

However, the shirts are not for sale!

Only those who earn colours get one, and then, as I have written above, they get it for free!

That's not bad for the paltry R80.00 annual registration fee.

So, when you look at the photograph albums on the MSSA's facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mindsportssa/photos_albums) you will be able to automatically tell who has which colours just from the shirts that they are wearing.

The shirt colours are:

Regional Colours – Black and red.

Primary, High School, and Student Provincial Colours – Black and white

Senior Provincial Colours – Black and yellow

Junior National Colours – Green and white

Senior National Colours – Green and Yellow

Protea Colours – Approved shirt with Protea badge.

Not shabby at all – in fact quite impressive!

Nathan 'StatiC' Anderson eliminated from DreamHack

The MSSA sent out the following communique:

"On Thursday, 12 September 2013 the MSSA  officially handed Protea Colours over to Nathan 'StatiC' Anderson at the Old Edwardian Society in Lower Houghton.

The sponsorship received from MWEB was fully explained to all present. It was noted that if it were not for the sponsorship from MWEB, that Nathan would not have been able to attend DreamHack Bucharest.

It was then explained that with the accreditation of eSports as a full sport in South Africa, the Protea Colours Board is able to award Protea Colours to gamers.

This is the same Protea Colours that are awarded by the Board to South Africa's other sporting stars for sports such as swimming, cricket, rugby etcetera.

After the award ceremony, Nathan was whisked off to the airport where he boarded his flight to Romania.

However Nathan 'StatiC' Anderson, who plays for Veneration eSports  on a club level) found the championship to test his mettle. Among the finest players in the world, Nathan held his ground in some pretty intense games.  'Ret' (from the Netherlands) and 'Niroxs' (from Switzerland) proved to be too strong for Nathan and defeated him. However, Nathan fought back courageously to beat the Romanian player 'Shinersen'.

Unfortunately the win was not enough, and Nathan was eliminated from the group stages.

There is no doubt that Nathan learnt some very valuable lessons at DreamHack Bucharest which was played on the 14th and 15th of September 2013. The lessons learnt by Nathan at this event will no doubt put him in good stead for his forays into future competitions."

From the MSSA facebook page

I see that the MSSA has been busy of late.

Obviously the sponsorship that the MSSA receives from MWEB is an important factor to their level of activity.

It is interesting that the MWEB Protea Dota 2 team whitewashed the Mexican team on the 7^th of September 2013. South Africa’s strength as opposed to the Mexicans was totally phenomenal.

Of course there are the critics. They are not happy when South Africa loses, and they are not happy when South Africa wins. They are just never happy!

I spoke to Colin Webster (President of the MSSA) and he said to me. “The MSSA is very proud of the MWEB Dota 2 team. The team played well and had a good recovery after having been defeated by Romania.”

I too asked Webster if there was any truth to the Mexican team being weaker than what it should be. Webster replied by saying, “The Mexican team was selected by eSports Mexico. I cannot believe that any other federation would willingly field a weaker team than what they could unless they did it for other reasons that are only known to themselves.”

So that is it.... according to Webster the MWEB Protea Dota 2 Team won fair and square.

Of course there are the critics. They are not happy when South Africa loses, and they are not happy when South Africa wins. They are just never happy!
However, I have a bone to pick with the MSSA. I have not seen the results for the Online League of Legends Championships.

But it was a busy weekend. The same weekend saw the MSSA holding its 1^st Nkangala Regional Championships in Mpumalanga for COD 4. The winners were, not surprisingly, D5g of the All Stars Club.

Of course the highlight of the month for me was the fact that Veneration eSports gamer, Nathan 'StatiC' Anderson is selected to be the newest member of the MWEB Protea Team.

What a star!


And he is living the dream! Imagine to be sent across to play at DreamHack Bucharest. I would give my left b*** for that.

And to get Protea Colours to boot. What an honour!

Everyone here in Zola is rooting for you.

Go 'StatiC' go!



Amandla.