Mayor of Kaohsiung - Chun Ju acknowledges role of esports in the economy.

Mayor of Kaohsiung - Chun Ju at the recent signing of the MOU with IESF.

At a glittering affair, at a rather swank hotel, in Taipei, a memorandum of agreement was signed between  Kaohsiung City, Chinese Taipei eSports Association  (CTESA), and International Esports Federation (IESF) on Monday, 2 April 2018.

At the media briefing that immediately followed the signing, Ms. Chun Ju (Mayor of Kaoshiung City) explained the reasons for the city's involvement in IESF's 10th World Championships.

It was while Mayor Chen Ju was on a business trip to Paris in 2015, that she was introduced to esports and watched the "League of Legends" World Championship, he continued to pay attention to e-sports related news. Mayor Chan Ju then took the initiative to contact the CTESA E-Sports Association and Chairman of the TESL Taiwan E-Sports Association, Xu Peijing, to further improve her  understanding of esports. 

Mayor Chen Ju also mentioned that before arriving at the signing press conference today, she first visited President Tsai Yingwen at the Presidential Palace and mentioned that the 10th IESF World E-sports Championship will be held in Kaohsiung and invited President Cai to attend the opening ceremony. President Cai also promised to attend the 10th World Championships.Mayor Chen Ju then went on to explain the importance of esports.

Esports not only has a vital role to play in the tourism industry, but according to Mayor Chen Ju, esports has a direct impact on the creation of employment at all levels as well stimulating  education and industry integration. 
  
It is hoped that through esports students, parents and children will be able to come together to experience the career development potential of the complete industry chain of Taiwan's esports industry.

There is no doubt that the visionary attitude as exhibited by Kaoshiung City through Mayor Chen Ju will further enhance the city's  status as well as that of esports.

IESF announces the venue for its 10th World Championships.

(Left: Alex Lim, the Secretary General of IESF / Right: Pei-Ching Hsu, the Deputy Managing Director of CTeSA)

The host city bid results for the 10^th Esports World Championship 2018 was taken by Kaohsiung city (Chinese Taipei) which was lead by the Chinese Taipei Esports Association (CTeSA). The results were announced at the closing ceremony of the 9^th Esports World Championships - Busan.

The 10^th edition of IESF's Esports World Championship is expected to be the greatest Esports World Championship in size and scale in comparison to all former events.

The venue in which the Esports World Championship will be held is none other than the Kaohsiung Arena.  The Kaohsiung Arena has previously hosted many other sporting events. 

Kaohsiung Arena

The stadium has the capacity of 15,000 seats, and has the history of holding the 2017 League of Legends Rift Rivals Seriesin 2017, as well as playing host to the World Games in 2009. 

Kaohsiung city government has promised that the Esports World Championship will be held to the highest standards and class. More detailed information concerning the 10^th edition of the World Championships is to be announced by IESF from time-to-time.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA),  as usual, intends to send a team to compete at such event. In fact, MSSA has sent a team every year to IESF's World Championships, and is the only country that has had members of both genders in its national team in every world championship since 2011.

But why Kaohsiung City?

Kaohsiung City has recently been selected as one of the top 10 tourist cities to be visited in 2018 by Lonely Planet. Kaohsiung City too has the geographical advantages of both sea and airports, as well as perfect mass transit systems. Kaohsiung MRT connect High-speed Rail, Taiwan Railways and the international airport. While visiting the tournament, participants can tour Kaohsiung and enjoy the scenery and food of Kaohsiung.

The host member CTeSA was founded in January 2012, and has since its formation been the national federation representing Chinese Taipei. CTeSA are also proactive in the movement for esports recognition as an official sports, and have successfully received the recognition from the Ministry of Education and the Sports Administration. CTeSA is currently the one and only approved managing body for all esports event in Chinese Taipei just as MSSA is  in South Africa.

Milestones.

MSSA's BF2142 team that went to Taiwan in 2006.

Many will know that Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) sent its first team across in 1991 to the World Wargames Championships. MSSA (then known as the South African Wargames Union) too took part in the meeting at Vanderbijlpark (as featured in the film Invictus) which decided the fate of the Springbok emblem. Thus in 1994, MSSA moved away from the Springbok logo and adopted the Protea.

It seems that in every year that MSSA reaches new heights an creates new milestones on its journey.

2016 was no different, and MSSA certainly created some impressive milestones, the most important being:

* Thomas Brown became SA's first accredited international referee.

* Thomas Brown refereed the World Cyber Arena finals in Beijing.

* Jason Batzofin was elected on to IeSF's Athletes' Commission.

* Colin Webster was re-elected on to IeSF's Management Board.
* Morizane Boyes became the first female President of MSSA.
* MSSA held its 30th National Championships on 3 & 4 December 2016.
* Rules were amended to allow MSSA to be the only SA sport federation with true gender equity.

However, none of it would have been possible without the participation of each and every level. All members made a contribution to help MSSA grow and survive.

Thank you, one and all.