Colin Webster re-elected as President of Mind Sports South Africa.

Germiston's own Colin Webster (right) seen here receiving  an award from His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed al Maktoun, President of UAE Olympic Committee, has been re-elected as President of Mind sports South Africa (MSSA).

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was founded in 1985, and one of the persons instrumental in the founding of MSSA was Colin Webster.

Colin Webster served as President of MSSA from its founding through to 2013 when Simphiwe Maphumulo was elected in as MSSA President.

From 2013 until 2022, Colin Webster served as MSSA's General Secretary where he was able to give the duly elected Presidents at such time, Simphiwe Maphumulo, Morizane Boyes, and Amanda Pakade much needed support.

However, Colin's commitment to Mind Sports was not restricted only to South Africa. Colin also served on International Esports Federation (IESF) as a Board Member (2013 - 2018) and as President of IESF (2018 - 2020), on International Wargames Federation as President, and served on Confederation of African Esports (CAES) from (2008 - 2013) and then as General Secretary of CAES from 2014 until the present.

Colin Webster always keen to volunteer, too served on South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Commission's (SASCOC) Dispute and Arbitration Commission for a number of years.

Not satisfied with participating on the Board, Colin has also immersed himself in almost every aspect of MSSA's operations. Thus in 1998, Colin was seen umpiring in South Africa's first official esports Championships - the Gauteng Provincial Championships held at Old Edwardian Society.

Colin is thus well known as a driving force in esports, and although has been involved in esports administration is known for  his ability to promote youth and females in all structures. Being open to new ideas and change, Colin has encouraged MSSA to readily adapt to the changing conditions and circumstances. 

With Colin re-elected as MSSA's President, MSSA is bound to move forward as never before.

Also read:

• 2022 Calendar of Events
• Notices - Transfer season
• Titles - esports: High School Championships
• Titles - esports: Premier Championships
• Titles - esports: Student Championships

MSSA plans to push for gender equality on CAES.

Amanda Pakade - MSSA President (left), Hsu Pei-Ching - CTeSA President (centre), and Salome de Bruyn - NeSA (right).

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is at the forefront of ensuring that gender equality exists at all levels within MSSA, be it on the playing field, and all the way up to the office of the President.

For years too, MSSA has strongly advocated gender equality on International Esports Federation (IESF), but has unfortunately met with some strong resistance. Nevertheless, MSSA every year continues to advocate such at such august body's General Meeting, and, MSSA has noticed that those against are becoming fewer in number.

As part of ensuring gender equality, MSSA too is pushing for such on the Confederation of African Esports (CAES).

Up until now, from the founding of CAES in 2013, every Executive Committee member has been a male.

Considering that esports is a sport that is available to all, such a composition on the Executive Committee is out of line.

MSSA will, therefore be advocating radical changes to ensure gender equity in the hope that Africa can lead the way.

Also read:

• Elections for the Confederation of African Esports.

Elections for the Confederation of African Esports.

Who will be elected onto the Confederation of African Esports' Executive Committee. Will Egypt and South Africa still dominate the Committee, or will, other member federations make a grab?

All member federations of the Confederation of African Esports (CAES) have been informed of the impending elections.

It is expected that Egypt, Tunisia, Namibia, and South Africa (through Mind Sports South Africa - MSSA) will all be making a bid to get its candidates onto the Executive Committee.

CAES playes an important role in assisting national federations become accredited by their own governments, which in turn, allows  them to become full members of International Esports Federation.

It was through such membership of CAES that the Namibian Esports Association (NeSA) was able to gain recognition on all levels.

CAES also does a great deal of work in liaising with organisations like ANOCA, as well as organising officially recognised test matches.

If a so-called 'test match' and it is not an International Esports Federation and/or Confederation of African Esports (CAES) accredited event, it is not an official event.

All positions held on CAES are held on a staggered basis. The reason to do such is to protect CAES.

However, for the first time, it just so happens that the entire Executive Committee will have to be elected.
The positions up for election are:

1. A President   (3 years)
2. A 1^st Vice-President  (2 years)
3. General Secretary, who will oversee the CAES’s finances (1 year)
4. 1st  Board Member (3 years)
   2nd Board Member  (2 years)
   3rd Board Member (1 year)

Only members paid up at the date of the General Meetinng shall  be able to vote, and that only members who are paid up at the date of nomination are eligible to nominate candidates.

The importance of Continental Confederations.

IeSF and AESF board members at the General Assembly Meeting of Asian E-Sports Federation

At the moment there are only two properly constituted continental confederations. The two such confederations are the Asian E-Sports Federation (AESF) and the Confederation of African Esports (CAES).

Although AESF is by far the largest confederation in both number of states affiliated and number of gamers registered, both are equally important in terms of the work done.

The confederations have a vital role in  terms  of promoting the growth of esports in all countries and regulating important events like continental championships.

The continental confederations are also vital in representing the interests of their members with IeSF, government and the like.

CAeS announces seeding points for Namibian/South African Test Match.

Gordon McCormack and Khahliso Malape.

On Saturday, 29 July 2017 at 14HOO a test match between South Africa (MSSA) and Namibia (NeSA) was played to the esports title of FIFA '17 .

The matches were played between:

Name of Player	Country	VS	Name of Player	Country	Result
Patrick Matjila.	Namibia		Khahliso Malape	South Africa	3 - 0
Gordon McCormack	South Africa		John Walenga	Namibia	0 - 0

The Confederation of African eSports (CAeS) has been quick to produce the seeding points for the four players.

The seeding points earned, from the test match, are:

Name of Player	Year	Country	Points
Patrick Matjila.	17	Namibia	130
Gordon McCormack	17	South Africa	100
John Walenga	17	Namibia	100
Khahliso Malape	17	South Africa	85

MSSA elections: Colin Webster enters the race for the presidency.

Colin Webster at the IeSF's 7th World Championships

Having been a founder of Mind Sports South Africa, Colin has seen it all.

From the very beginning when Mind Sports was not an accredited Sport, through to when MSSA was accepted as a sport until it became the body that it become today.

There is a great deal of speculation that Colin only stood down as President in 2013 as to not fall foul of the SASCOC rule that forbids a president of a national federation from holding such office for more than ten years on a continuous basis.

"It is true that I stood down in order to comply with the rules, but that was not the only reason!". remarked Colin Webster.

It seems as though one of the other reasons was to give others a chance at running the organisation.

Colin's great belief is that MSSA is a vehicle in which those administrating it take their instructions from the passengers. The passengers are the member clubs.

Colin too, only has good things to say about Simphiwe Maphumulo.

"Simphiwe came in at a difficult time, rose to the challenge, and steered MSSA safely through some pretty turbulent times".

However, under Colin's presidency (2005 to 2013), the following was achieved:

• MSSA was a founding member of SASCOC,
• eSports became recognised as a sport,
• MSSA sent teams to world championships every year,
• MSSA was a founder member of the Confederation for African eSport,
• MSSA hosted the African Continental Championships in 2008, 
• MSSA affiliated to IeSF, and
• MSSA affiliated to IeSMoD.

Of course there are those  that do not agree with Colin. Some have been quite malicious in their postings, while  the others have clearly not understood where MSSA is going and for what it stands.

Colin is nominated by the Old Edwardian Wargames Club.