Treated like gold...

Jessica Greeff receiving her award. (Photograph courtesy of GSport)

Jessica Eleez Greeff (Captain of MSSA's Female Protea CounterStrike GO Esports Team) attended the GAL2024 hosted by GSport on 2 December 2024.

The Top 10 Newsmakers of 2024 were announced, including Jessica.

Jessica gained her fame leading MSSA's Female Protea CounterStrike GO Esports Team to victory at IESF's African Esports Championships (SEC) in Casablanca, Morocco in August in 2024. This is the first time that South Africa has won such event. Jessica then lead MSSA's Female Protea CounterStrike GO Esports Team to IESF's 16th World Championships (WEC24) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where the team performed admirably.

As Jessica stated, "GAL24 was such a beautiful event where my team's hard work was recognised and appreciated".  Jessica went on to say, "GSport have treated me like gold, showing nothing but support for now and for my future"

MSSA President, Colin Webster stated, "I expect nothing less from GSport and its sponsors as their work in supporting females is truly admirable".

Fore more, please see: https://gsport.co.za/prolific-glenrose-xaba-named-2024-gsport-newsmaker-of-the-year/

Additional reading:

• 2024 Calendar of Events
• 2024 Open Student Games - R910,735,00 to be won!
• 2025 - Proposed Calendar of Events for 2025.
• AEC - African Esports Championships 24 (AEC24)
  
• AEC - Champions of all of Africa - Protea Female Counter Strike 2 Esports Team wins AEC24
• AEC - Forged in battle - a Counter Strike story...
• AEC - Schedule for Protea Counter Strike Team.
  
• AEC - Schedule for MSSA's Female Protea Counter Strike Team.
• AEC - Schedule for MSSA's Protea MLBB Team.
  
• AEC - South Africa enters the finals!
• AEC - South Africa's Protea PUBGM Esports Team enters centre stage.
• AEC - Through to the finals of AEC24
• AEC - Wrap up of day 1 at IESF's AEC24 - 17 August 2024
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Affiliation - Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2025 season.
• Awards - Nominations required by midnight,1 November 2024 for MSSA's Management Board Awards.
• Colours: National Colours may be earned at 2024 SA National Online Championships to be held on 7 December 2024.
• eChess - There is still time to register for an echess tourney with a total prize pool of $60,000 USD
• Elections - Do you want to be a Regional Director?
• Elections - Nominations are needed for 2024 AGM.
• Elections - Reminder: Nominations and submissions are due...
• Events - 2024 SA National Online Championships to be held on 7 December 2024.
• Fees: MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2024/2025 season.
• Hosting official Regional Championships.
• IESF: IESF announces game titles for 16th World Esports Championships to be held in 2024.
• IESF: MSSA confirms its entry to WEC24
• IESF: Results of friendly against Belarus.
• National Team Trials: 2024 ROAD TO RIYADH - Two qualifying events left
• National Team Trials - Age restrictions
• National Team Trials: Ensuring every athlete achieves their dreams.
• National Team - Female Qualifiers
• National Team - Junior Qualifiers
• National Team - National Team Trials - 10 August 2024
• National Team: Onward and upward
• National Team - Open Qualifiers
• Office Bearers: Volunteer for a Provincial Directorship
• Office Bearers: Do you want to be a Regional Director?
• Results: 2024 Western Cape Online Championships - 17 February 2024.
• Results: 5th FREE STATE Online Championships held on 3 August 2024.
• Results: 5th GAUTENG Online Championships held on 18 May 2024.  
• Results: Combined Online Provincial Championships for Schools - 27 April 2024
• Results: Online Championships to be held on 4 May 2024.
• Results: Team ATK Oshun excels at 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024 
• Sportsmanship awards - Je'nielle Cavanagh takes the award
• Sportsmanship awards: Ridah Hendricks take Western Cape Sportsmanship title
• Student Games: Superb Sochi
• Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
• Titles: Esports titles selected for all MSSA's 2024 High School Championships.
• Titles - Have your say... Choose your esports titles!
• Transfers: Transfer season - 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
• WEC24 - Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences Named Official Main Partner for World Esports Championship 2024
• WEC24 - South African female team to play against Norway
• WEC24 - Forged in Battle
• WEC24 - Homeward bound!
• WEC24 - IESF & MOONTON - WEC24 MLBB Success
• WEC24 - PUBG MOBILE Tournament Concludes with Outstanding Success
• \WEC24 - Treated like gold...

Why do sports need governing bodies?

Maryke 'Ykie' Kennard takinng the Athletes' Oath at
IeSF's 2015 World Championships - Seoul.

Often outsiders question the roles and overall purposes of why sports need governing bodies. To the competitive athlete, the answer is clear, but to those who have not been directly involved in sport, the answer may be unclear.

The reasons why the answers may be unclear is that the roles and responsibilities of national and international federations are complex. Both national and international federations, at times, may face conflicting interests which must be handled within a democratic system unlike the more autocratic system employed by private (and public) companies.

It is through the democratic system that allows any registered athlete to assume positions on the various committees. Officers are not hand-picked, but instead rely on the support from the voting members to attain office.

As such, all national and international federations have a constitutional base which is policed by its own membership.

The national and international federations of sport also create the interest, development, and expansion of sport on a grassroots level. It is through the national and international federations efforts that the recognition of sport is promoted.

Without Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) having been accredited in 1991, it is doubtful that boardgaming, esports, and wargames would have the accreditation that it now enjoys. In fact perhaps every private competition in South Africa would also not exist. TELKOM emulated MSSA’s league which ran from 2005 to 2008 when they started their own league in 2008. Players like Barry ‘Anthrax’ Louzada represented South Africa in MSSA National teams in both 2007 and 2013 before starting his own privately owned event.

In short, only national and international federations would take on the responsibilities of development, creating interest, and promotion of the sport without the prospect of immediate financial gain.

The national and international federations also balance the interests of those that want to gain from the commercial interests of sport as such national and international federations safeguard the sport from outside interests, whether such interests are political or commercial. It is only national and international federations that truly look after the interests of the athlete, as without having a driving commercial interest in the sport, such federations are more centred on the promotion ad well-being of the athlete as opposed to crass financial gain. Thus often the national and international federations have to take very tough decisions and walk-away from what, at first, may appear to be lucrative deals.

Thus, only the national and international federations are playing the long-game and take the long-term view in the promotion of sport.

Find your dream!

Francois Mouton representing South Africa in HearthStone at IeSF's 8th World Championships - Jakarta. 

It is not easy to find your dream.

There are so many people along the way that  might attempt to deter you, or steer you along a different path for their own ulterior motives.

Then there are those who go out and try to educate and get you to create a considered opinion.

In my own life, I consider myself to be blessed to be surrounded by the latter.

My parents (now deceased) always promoted freedom of thought at a time in South Africa when such freedom was not much appreciated. Then there was Zvi Katabi, my old swimming coach, who added much, and to whom I shall always be indebted.

But I digress.

Many gamers will look at the two options offered to gamers in South Africa by Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) on the one side, and by private operators (like TELKOM) on the other.

Such gamers feel that they need to choose between the two.

The truth is that gamers can do both.

Few gamers are aware that  the league offered by TELKOM was in fact started by MSSA in 2005.

It is important though that gamers get in as many competition type games as possible if they are to improve on an international stage.

In my own experience, I have found that I was only ready for international competition if I had played in at least 5 competitions between championships

Thus, in order to find your dream, you have to put in a lot of work.

Your dream will  not just fall into your lap, and often you will find that the more difficult path leads to greater success.

Just as it takes years of study to acquire a degree to find the career of choice, so becoming a professional gamer requires hours of training, competitive play, and taking every opportunity that is offered no matter by what, who, or whom.

Can Protea Team members play in non MSSA events?

Maryke Kennard (capt.) and Johan Uys (coach) of the 2015 Protea League of Legends team

I heard a rumour that should you compete in the overseas tournament you won't be able to compete again in any event for a year afterwards? If that is true, would I be able to compete in DGL?

The official response from MSSA is: "No, that is a malicious rumour.

What the rule states is that while you are a member of the Protea team, you may only play for teams affiliated to MSSA.

So, if you become a member of the Protea Team, as long as you are a member of an affiliated club, you can play in any championship you like.

However, if you are in the Protea Team and you leave the affiliated club for which you play, the team that you join must be affiliated. Because you do not affiliate to DGL, you only play in their championships.

DGL is a marketing arm of TELKOM. TELKOM does not allow anyone to affiliate to it.

Thus you can play in DGL.

So, if you get your Protea Colours you can play in championships organised by MWEB, DGL, ORENA, ESL, ESWC, etc, as long as the club you are representing is affiliated to MSSA.

Once the contract expires (contracts are for one calendar year) you may play for whomever you like."

eSports growth

Team Serbia - 2015 World Championships

TELKOM has pushed in a huge cash injection of one million Rands (R1,000,000.00) into the Digital Gaming League for the game title of CounterStrike: GO and DotA 2.

This is a huge development in gaming in South Africa as it further emphasises the growth and continuing popularity of eSports in South Africa.

The growth of eSports should be of no surprise to anyone. eSports is probably one of the most accessible sports to the public, and in spite of the initial cost of hardware, still one of the most cost effective sports in which a person can partake.

Thus the growth of eSports in South Africa can clearly be seen at school level, where Mind Sports SouthAfrica's official league is showing exponential growth as schools clamber to get on board.

The growing number of gamers, and the resulting increase in competitiveness, has meant that South Africa can hold its head high in international competition.

South Africa's current ranking by the International eSports Federation is at 12^th place due to the MWEB Protea eSports team that participated in the IeSF's 7th World Championships - Seoul.

May I play?

A couple of days ago, I received a query from a gamer asking:

"May my team play in both MSSA championships and in TELKOM gaming?"

The short answer is, yes!

For many years  there has been quite a bit of inaccurate information given out by gamers that if a team played in MSSA events, such team would not be allowed to play  in other events.

THIS IS QUITE UNTRUE, and always has  been!

Any team affiliated to a club affiliated to MSSA may play in any league/championship/competition.

The Calendar  of Events for 2016 is:

2016 Calendar of events

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
13 & 14 FEB	OE Summer Championships	Ancients (500pts), Draughts, Morabaraba	Blue Room, Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave, Lower Houghton, Jhb
20 FEBRUARY	On-line Inter-school Provincial Championships	CS:GO, DotA, FIFA, HearthStone, LOL, SC, TTT II	On-line
5 & 6 MARCH	20th NORTH WEST Championships	All	TBA
26 & 27 MARCH	33rd GAUTENG Championships	All	TBA
9 & 10 APRIL	Provincial School Championships	Board and Figure games	TBA
16 APRIL	Dota 2 Online Championships CounterStrike GO, League of Legends	eSports (PC)	On-line
30 APRIL & 1 MAY	22nd KWAZULU NATAL Championships	All	TBA
28 & 29 MAY	15th MPUMALANGA Championships	All	TBA
28 MAY	FINANCIAL AGM	Meeting	TBA
25 & 26 JUNE	13th FREE STATE Championships	All	TBA
23 JULY	City of Johannesburg Regionnal Championships	* Ancients 200AP (DBM v3.2) * FIFA '16, * Morabaraba * Tekken Tag Tournament II	Blue Room, Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave, Lower Houghton, Jhb
30 & 31 JULY	SA School Championships	Board, Figure and eSports	Cape Town
13 AUGUST	StarCraft II, Hearthstone	eSports (PC)	On-line
27 & 28 AUGUST	21st WESTERN CAPE Championships	All	TBA
TBA	Indigenous Games	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA
24 & 25 SEPTEMBER	16th EASTERN CAPE Championships	All	TBA
29 & 30 OCTOBER	6th LIMPOPO Championships	All	TBA
3 & 4 DECEMBER	30th S A NATIONAL Championships	All	TBA
4 DECEMBER	33rd NATIONAL CONVENTION	Annual General Meeting	As per 30th S A NATIONAL Championships
TBA	SRSA's S A Schools Championships	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA

Notes:

1. International events still need to be included.
2. Inter-Provincial events need to be included
3. Inter-regional events need to be included
4. Club events need to be included
5. Regional Championships need to be included.
6. Free State is moved to earlier in the year.
7. National Team Trials still need to be included

Ventus® LoL team banned for 12 weeks by DGC

According to TELKOM GAMING, "The Tribunal Officer recommended that the  Ventus® team be banned for 12 weeks based on the current DGC rule-set. In addition, the Tribunal Officer recommended that Ventus® lose its seeded position, forcing Ventus® to re-enter the DGL from the lowest division once the ban period has expired. Furthermore Ventus® has been disqualified from the DGC and both the team’s prizes and second place finish have been revoked."

Of course there has been an outcry by many gamers  and blogs  that the penalty was not stiff enough. On the MWEB GAMEZONE page, it is even suggested by a couple of commentators that the act was illegal.

If it was indeed illegal, then anyone who was compromised by the act may actually lay a criminal charge.

However, how would Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) have dealt with the same issue should it had occurred in a MSSA event?

From my reading of the rules, the MSSA would  have done  the following:

• The team would have immediately have been disqualified and would have forfeited all awards, and

• If the players had Provincial Colours or higher, such players would be banned from participating in the next three MSSA events, and 

• If the players had Provincial Colours or higher, such players would be banned from selection for the next national team, and 

• If the players did not have Provincial Colours or higher, such players would be banned from participating in the next MSSA events, and 

• If the players had Provincial Colours or higher, such players would be banned from selection for the next national team, and

• All players would be brought before a disciplinary hearing, which would be called in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000, The penalties could range from a three month ban to a life-time ban depending on the involvement of all  the team members and even of the club  officials and the club itself.

This is how seriously the MSSA would have treated any such infraction.

Without the MSSA

There are many films that deal with the ubiquitous 'what if ' situations of what would have been if a person had never been born.

But, what about the 'what if' the MSSA had never been constituted.

Well let us see....

Back in the 1980's without the MSSA (then known as the South African Wargames Union), gaming (then mainly board and figure gaming) would have been relegated to yet another pastime as the Springbok Colours Board and COSAS (the Confederation of South African Sport) would have only applied their minds to the physical sports.

Yes, not even chess was considered to be a sport in those dark days. Those in power had a firm idea of what constituted a sport and what did not...

Thus without the existence of the MSSA banging on doors, there is no doubt that nothing would have changed in the 1980's. 

That would have indeed impacted on the 1990's.

It was in 1991 that the MSSA was adopted into membership of NOCSA and COSAS. As a result of this membership, the roadwas paved for accreditation of gaming as a full sport and membership of the South African Sports Commission (SASC) and even as a founder member of SASCOC.

Without the MSSA, Springbok Colours would not have been awarded to gamers in 1991.

It is almost hard to believe that the MSSA had Springbok Colours awarded to its teams before even chess received the right.Well do I remember the looks on the faces of the 1991 Chess Team when they saw that the MSSA's team had such Springbok Colours.

Thus there was an almost seamless transition between the award of Springbok Colours to that of Protea Colours in 1994. However, without the MSSA, that would not have been done.

So, without the MSSA, there is no doubt in my mind that all of gaming would have remained in the doldrums.

With the advent of computer gaming, there is no doubt either in my mind that without the MSSA, there would certainly not be any form of official gaming scene.

Without the MSSA there probably would not even be the DGL Gaming League.

Very few gamers today are even aware that the MSSA was the first to establish a gaming league in 2005. The league was of course administered by the MSSA's eSports Board of Control under the chairmanship of Johann von Backström. The league was discontinued in 2009 due to issues surrounding unsavoury behaviour by some of the participating teams.
Johann von Backström convinced TELKOM to continue with the league in 2009.

However, without the existence of the MSSA, the league would never have started, and certyainly, there is no doubt in my mind that TELKOM would never have continued with the league.

Not only that, without the MSSA, there would have been no offocial body that would have negotiated deferred exams for at least 12 gamers to enable such gamers to participate in overseas events.

Not only that, but over 100 gamers would have been denied the opportunity of receiving national colours and over a further 50 gamers would have been denied Protea Colours.

In short gaming would have been a mess where there would have been no real benefit to anyone.

Even those who are antagonistic towards the MSSA cannot deny that much of what they have done is built on the foundations of the MSSA.

Whether their feelings towards the MSSA has inspired them to greater heights, or whether it has created articles which has attracted readers to their blogs, the MSSA has had the greatest impact on South African gaming than any other organization.

Thus without doubt, without the MSSA, gaming in South Africa would have stagnated. It is only through the MSSA (currently sponsored y MWEB) that national teams have competed on a regular basis in international competition.

We all have much for which we must thank the MSSA!

Careful what you read!

There are all sorts out there professing to promote eSports.

There is no doubt that the MSSA has a vested interest in promoting eSports for the sake of eSports.

While we all know that there are a few gamers who do not like the MSSA, it is not because the MSSA is not promoting eSports, but rather because they are doing things differently and have brought structure to the sport.

When you look at the reputable blogs run by MWEB, MyGaming, and TELKOM, and others, you will also see that they do much to promote the concept of eSports.

Yes, they will point out weaknesses when they should, but on the whole they are positive about the future about eSports.

After all, these companies too have a vested interest in the growth of eSports as the growth of eSports will ultimately benefit them financially. These companies have looked at the 'big picture' and have taken a long-term view.

But there are others that continually attack and tear down.

For what motive?

I was lead to believe that it is because they do not want to see any structure existing for eSports, and I still believe this to a certain extent.

But, I believe now more-and-more that it is purely for the ratings.

There is no real interest in seeing eSports grow, after all, what has such blogger done to actually promote eSports, instead, all such blogger wishes to do is get readers.

Thus, it seems to such blogger, irrelevant the damage that he does as long as he earns a few Rands. This is a short term view which in the end will lead nowhere, and those that follow will become disenchanted and bitter when they eventually realise that they have lost out on opportunities from which they could have benefited.

As my grandmother told me, it is easier to break down rather than to build.

What you read is up to you, just read it with an open mind!

Can what happened to the WCG happen in SA?

So the WCG has closed its doors for 2014.

According to the MSSA's facebook page, Mr Brad Lee of the WCG claims that the ECG will not be held in 2014 because, “This decision was made by the WCG committee after considering the current global trend as well as the business environment.”

Who actually knows what that means?

It could mean almost anything from financial collapse, to just a simple lack of interest.

Could what happened to the WCG happen to the DGL or to the MSSA?

Well, I thought about it, and these are my conclusions:

DGL.

When looking at the WCG model, it is quickly apparent that the model was fundamentally flawed. The WCG for many years depended entirely on the good graces of its benefactor – SAMSUNG. As far as I am lead to believe even the the teams that attended from the various countries were sponsored by the local SAMSUNG office.

So, in other words, the WCG then appears to be part of a marketing project of a major corporation.

There is nothing wrong with that, but as soon as there is a downturn in the economy, and budgets are invariably cut, then the whole affair tends to sour.

And that is the similarity with the DGL.

The DGL is part of a marketing project by TELKOM.

There is no membership, no fees and no sustainability should TELKOM decide to not carry on with promoting gaming.

MSSA:

The MSSA runs on a totally different model.

It runs on the same model as every sporting code. Many of the sporting codes that use this model have existed in this form for over 100 years.

Instead of having paid employees it runs on the buy-in of members who volunteer to run the body.

Because of its sporting model, it also has access to members fees, sponsorships and government funding.

As a result it is able to ride out any economic downturn as it has more income streams at its disposal and is not primarily dependant upon only one benefactor.

In conclusion:

What has happened to the WCG can happen to any organisation.

It is sad when it happens, but it does!

However, in my opinion, it is more likely to happen to the DGL than to the MSSA.

Transformation in South African gaming!

While watching SABC TV2 yesterday morning (16 October 2013(, the Minister of Sport and Recreation announced the finalists of the South African Sport Awards.

Mind Sports South Africa managed to get Simphiwe Maphumulo nominated for the Indigenous Sports Star of the Year Award. This means as a finalist, Simphiwe automatically picks up a check of R15,000.00 and if he wins the category at the Awards dinner, Simphiwe will get a check of R130,000.00.

This is why eSports is part of the sports structure – so that the gamer can benefit.

The Minister also made it clear that quota's will be enforced in sport.

It is known that the MSSA does as much as possible to ensure that there is representation of all South Africans in its teams.

However, what of privately owned events. The TELKOM DGL still seems to be 'milky white'. All you have to do is look at the photographs, and you will see very few people of colour.

According to the last census, whites only make up 8% of the population, but if you went to rAge, you would think that you were still living in a pre-1994 South Africa.

DSGL, and all other competitions, should get in line with the governments' priorities, otherwise it could be seen that gaming, and the gamers themselves, are reactionary and do not identify with the New South Africa at all.

My suggestion is that DGL should not accept a team in their league if at least 2 of the team members are not blacks.

Think about it!