Beware of false summits...

Without accredited esports bodies at summits, like IESF and MSSA, such summits do not deal with the real issues surrounding esports.

With the development of esports since 1998, only recently is there a plethora of summits.
Summits are  now being staged on a seemingly endless basis, and, if a person is so inclined, one could attend at least one a month. But to what end of these summits being held? What is the expected outcome?  To whom are these summits being aimed?

It is a well known fact that Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) had managed to have esports recognised as an official sport in South Africa in 2005 when, it was allowed for the first time to have Protea Colours awarded to its national esports team that participated in the World Cyber Games (WCG). pening in the field of esports.

With esports already being considered to be a sport (in terms of the Sport and Recreation Act of 1998) it seems strange that any summit held in South Africa not have the official sporting authorities present to weigh in on what is really happening in the field of esports.

Thus it is laughable that any summit that is pretending to deal with the growth of esports in the South  African context leave out major players like International Esports Federation (IESF), the Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA), SASCOC, MSSA, or major clubs affiliated to MSSA. It would be like holding a summit apropos the future of football without having FIFA, SAFA, and a few PSL clubs present. Such a summit on football would be considered to be of no value as it would be deemed to be self-serving at best, and irrelevant at worst.

What we do see is summits being organised by exhibition companies on their own behalf, using journalists and operators of private events as their main speakers. In my personal opinion, such a summit is merely an advertising event for those present and has verly little to do with the long term development of esports.

Also read:

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Morabaraba - the game of the nation.

Morabaraba is an ancient and traditional African board game that has been played for thousands of years. Its origins predate recorded history in Africa. Today, Morabaraba is played in several countries — there is even a World Championship and South African players have been awarded national colours. It has been claimed that approximately 40% of South Africans know how to play Morabaraba — which would be over 20 million people!

Morabaraba is an accessible game that is easy to learn, although its strategic and tactical aspects run deep. While it may be played on specially-produced boards (or computer software) with special counters, it is simple enough that a board can easily be scratched on a stone or into sand, with coins or pebbles, or whatever comes to hand, used as the pieces.

It is far easier to learn than chess or draughts and the rules can be internalised in a mere few minutes. 

The game is, however, not just a variation of noughts and crosses and has been described as subtle and thought-provoking.

On the surface this popular game seems to be a simple variant of the European game Nine Men’s Morris (also known as Muehle, Mill or Merelles). On closer scrutiny it seems more likely that Morabaraba evolved from Mancala games, known to date back to ancient Egypt. A Morabaraba board has actually been found carved into the Great Pyramid of Khufu. One can only speculate as to whether the board was perhaps placed there for the Pharaoh to use in his afterlife, or maybe for the relaxation purposes of the stonemasons. If the board is indeed the same age as the pyramid then the game could be dated back to 2560 BC!

Morabaraba, derived from the English Morris, is its Shangaan name and the one which has come to be actively used in promoting the game. In South Africa it is also commonly known by the name umlabalaba. The name is ultimately derived from Latin merellus meaning a gaming counter. In the traditional European game the counters are commonly referred to as “men”, but in the South African version the counters are referred to as “cows”, the game being particularly popular amongst youth who herd cattle.

Over the centuries Morabaraba has played an important role in African culture, and has been used to teach warriors an appreciation for tactical thinking, as well as evaluating the strategic skills of a chief’s advisers. The game is taken very seriously by its players and, according to legend, African chiefs would select the best Morabaraba players as their advisors and council members! With a recent revival of interest in traditional African culture, Morabaraba is being well received, and is thus being promulgated by many organisations, as well as the department of Sport and Recreation SA (SRSA) as part of the annual Indigenous Games tournaments supported by the department.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has taken on the mandate of putting Morabaraba on a sound sporting footing in South Africa and internationally. MSSA through IWF promulgated a standard set of rules, and organise tournaments at regional, national and international levels. They also designed, and registered, a Morabaraba board and counters that have to be used in all official local and international competitions: the board has annotations along the side and the MSSA logo appears on the board and counters.

MSSA has invested financially to the development of the game. This has resulted in regular, and very successful, tournaments being held across SA, helping to popularise the traditional game with a new generation of players. MSSA runs annual SA national and provincial championships, school national and provincial championships, and inter-school leagues.

In order to qualify for the national team trials, a player has to finish in the top 20% or top 3, whichever is greater, of a recognised provincial and/or national championship. The national team is then selected at the national team trials. Any registered player can enter the provincial and national championships.

MSSA is affiliated to the International Wargames Federation, which allowed for the establishment of an official Morabaraba World Championship.

Not only has a player (David Hlophe) received the President’s Award — Silver Class — in 2002, but there are now universities, that offer bursaries to players who excel in the game.

From having argued with the NSC in 1996 to have Morabaraba recognised as a sport, it is most rewarding to see the joy on the faces of players receiving provincial and national colours.

According to a report published in the Sowetan, it is estimated that as many as 40% of all South Africans have at some stage played Morabaraba on a recreational basis. However the competitive field is a lot smaller. The largest entry that the MSSA has ever had in any one year is 36,000.

Only official boards with notation must be used in all the MSSA-organised Morabaraba championships and international competitions.

There is no doubt that with the right support, Morabaraba can be one of the biggest games in the world.

Please note that the colours of the national flag may not be used on commercial products without permission from the State President.

SRSA's 2015 Indigenous Games

Despite the millions of rands expended by SRSA on the 2015 Indigenous Games, the games went off barely being noticed by the press and citizens of South Africa.

SRSA's website advertising the event captured 0n 24/9/2015

The games were apparently held somewhere up in Pretoria from 18th September to 24 September (according to SRSA's website).

Theoretically, in terms of the law, SRSA is supposed to run the championships strictly to the National Federation's rules.

But do they?

As far as I am aware, SRSA and MSSA are at odds over the event. SRSA apparently does not use accepted rules and as such gamers that participate in SRSA's event are excluded from recognition for Morabaraba at Regional, Provincial and National level.

A sad state of affairs.

From POWERFM's website

However, back to 2015. I then see today that the dear Minister (Fikile Mbabula) was interviewed on "POWER98.7" on 17 September 2015, wherein he stated " the City of Polokwane  hosting the week’s long programme of events from the 20th to the 24th of September 2015."

So, if you are interested in going to watch this spectacle, where would you go - Pretoria or Polokwane?

And when does it start? A two day difference is really quite a lot!

I suppose at least they got the final date correct - I mean that is when they will have their award ceremony and of course, no doubt, the usual closing ceremony.

It is always interesting to see how taxpayer money is 'spent'.

SASCOC's succession plan

There is a great deal of talk in sport by both the Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) and SASCOC about having succession plans in place.

On the face of it, this makes sense.

Who does not want stable organisations that year-in-and-year-out follow the same policies and are governed by the same type of people?

But like all things there is the short game plan and the long game plan!

The succession plans advocated by SRSA and SASCOC, in my opinion, are short game plans.

The reason I maintain such is that such succession plans create:

• A cabal of like-minded 'friends' who keep control,
• A lack of entrepreneurial thinking,
• Resistance to change,
• Resistance to new ideas,
• Resistance to upward mobility.

The MSSA is just one National Federation (and may be the only one) in South Africa that advocates a far more open system.

In the MSSA's system, any Registered Player may be elected onto the Management Board.

Such system thus makes it impossible to control who is, and who is not elected onto the committee as every single member club has the ability to vote.

This is just one of the reasons why the MSSA was illegally suspended by SASCOC. The MSSA refused to implement the SASCOC succession plan.

As a result, the MSSA seems to be more unstable, but in truth it is not.

Committee Members that do not perform are quickly replaced, while those that are energetic and willing to work, can quickly make a difference.

Not only that, but the Management Board tends to represent the wishes of its members and thus can adapt quickly to the changes in society.

Thus, there are no 'holy cows'. Everything is reviewed, and the strongest survives!

And that is what sport is all about...

"A bunch of losers"

The South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has branded the national football team as "a bunch of losers" following their first round exit in the CAF African Nations Championship. (source – http://sport.iafrica.com/soccer/894439.html).

To me this seems to be a little petulant, and in my opinion the Minister only has himself to blame.

For years the Ministry has poured monies into football – even at times when South Africa can least afford it. As a result SA hosted the 2010 World Cup, the African Cup of Nations, and now the CAF African Nations Championship.

To host these events, SA has often had to improve national infrastructure such as roads and TV.

What has that got us? The upgrading of the roads for 2010 is what brought about e-tolling! Great!

Thus billions have been spent on football with very little return.

Instead of pumping just a fraction of the money spent on football, it could have been put into upgrading the internet which would have had far greater long-term benefits as well as creating greater coverage than ever received by football.

QUOTAS

My blog on transformation certainly seemed to open an ant's nest!

Over 2,000 people read the blog, and over 65 people submitted comments.

Sadly few could be published as most contained, hate speech, racial slurs, cursing, and some just did not have anything to contribute.

Not a response suggested HOW to deal with the issue. All just stated that the idea was wrong!

Please read the following two sites:

1. http://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/mbalula-talks-tough-transformation-unveils-sports-awards-nominees
2. http://www.srsa.gov.za/MediaLib/Home/DocumentLibrary/THINKSPORT%20Journal%20Vol2%20No2%20August%202013.pdf

Both sites make it clear that this is a government initiative.

It is going to happen!

The MSSA under Webster has used a system which he claims has been effective. I just think that his system is weak and any system needs to be 'accelerated' to give more results and faster.

Cricket has started a policy of introducing two players of colour in each club team this year. There is not the uproar there, because they know it has to be done.

Read the links.

Then if you have a better idea on how to reach the goals set out in the score card, suggest them.

Those are the only replies I will publish!

Of great concern

I find it of great concern that the MSSA has stated that the Department of Sport and Recreation has announced the allocation of monies to the national federations.

What is this money going to be used for?

I look at gaming, and I see a picture that is not very representative, or at least, not representative enough!

Is the money going to be used for development, or just for gamers to excel?

And, when I talk of development, I mean all facets of development. I mean not just the gamers, but the administrators - I mean everybody....

It would be nice to know how much they have been allocated and how they are going to spend it....