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Join cyber defense through the Ukrainian cryptocurrency exchange Kuna. Raised funds will be used to repel the enemy on the Internet

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DOTA2: South Africa vs Azerbaijan

The brave South African team put up a solid defence against a very strong Azerbaijanian team in game 1, but still went down to the Azerbaijanian juggernaut.

In the second game, Azerbaijan still proved to be too strong.
Unfortunately South Africa lost the second game after a very hard fight. Well played Azerbaijan!

See it all on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-XXv86s5kw&feature=youtu.be

CounterStrike: GO - Teams that have qualified for National Team Trials.

The BOO! Protea CounterStrike: GO Team that attended IESF's World Championships - Busan.

With Mind Sports South Africa's National Team Trials (NTT) fast approaching, officials are getting all records ready for such event.

It is imperative that readers are aware that although the team has qualified for NTT, it is actually the members of the team that have qualified for such trials.

Thus teams are welcome to experiment with different combinations throughout the year in order to find the best possible team for trials. As a result, a team nay have more 5 members who qualify for  trials from which they will select their own 'dream team'.

As such, MSSA and its member clubs keep record of each and every player that plays for the various teams in order to ensure that suitably qualified players participate at the prestigious National Team Trials.

With Online Schools, Gauteng Provincial Championships, North West Provincial Championships, Provincial Online Championships, Free State Provincial Championships, and Mpumulanga Provincial Championships all to be played before MSSA's National Team Trials on 2 & 3 June 2018, there is ample time for cyber athletes to qualify.

South Africa already boasts a fine tradition at IESF's annual world championships. It is no small feat to be ranked 12th in the world as South Africa already is so ranked.

It is therefore hoped that all teams will avail themselves of the opportunity to qualify for trials and possibly be selected for the National Protea Esports Team.

The teams that have qualified to date  for the CounterStrike: GO esports title are:

CounterStrike: GO
Team Name	Club	Number of athletes
Masters of Masters of Mind Sports	Masters of Masters of Mind Sports	5
VxP CSGO	VexxedPhoenix	8
WBHS_CS:GOA	Westville Boys	5
District_Zero	Protea Heights Academy	5
Potchefstroom Gimnasium	Potchefstroom Gimnasium	5
WBHS/CS:GOB	Westville Boys	5
MC: GO 1	Maritzburg College	5
Northwood	Northwood	5
Limbros Alpha	Fragcon	5
Limbros Beta	Fragcon	5

Thomas Brown to referee at WCA

On 27 April 2016, Mind Sports South Africa reported that Thomas Brown would be sent by MSSA to China for further training.

Thomas Brown

Like all benefits, they do not just fall out of the blue. Years of dedication, loyalty, hard-work and perseverance all have a part to play in the rewards and benefits that a person earns.

So it is true for Thomas as well,

Thomas has officiated at no less than 15 Mind Sports South Africa's eSport events and has run 22 of his own events while he has been a member of MSSA.

But now, there is even something greater in store for Thomas.

After attending the International Referee Conference in Yinchuan, China, Thomas shall move to Beijing where he will be the first ever South African to referee at a major international event.

Thomas will, in Beijing, referee at the WorldCyberArena 2016 Season 1 final.

WCA tournament is a platform to promote the role of Chinese E-sports development which cannot be ignored. WCA started in 2014 to access overseas markets for China's outstanding gaming platform products, but also to provide for the exchange of game products at home and abroad.

With a huge following, WCA will no doubt prove an interesting starting block for Thomas to launch his career as an international referee.

IeSF announced the establishment of International e-Sports Academy with $2M investment

Mr. Xuefeng Xu, General Manager of Yinchuan International Game Investment Co. Ltd (left) is shaking hands with Mr. Alex Lim, Secretary General of IeSF (right)

International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) and Yinchuan International Game Investment Co. Ltd held press conference regarding the establishment of International e-Sports Academy in Beijing JW Marriot Hotel, China on 10^th of March 2016. Both entities have signed an agreement to establish International e-Sports Academy on 8^th of March, 2016.

The status of e-sports is rising day by day and e-Sports market is also growing rapidly, however, the infrastructure of e-sports, especially on training system for professional human resources, is not systematically organized yet. Moreover, the young talents who want to access the e-sports scene go through difficulties to find the right direction. For this reason, IeSF have met various global e-sports partners and prepared to develop and operate the e-Sports training program which e-Sports workers, players, and various e-Sports organizations and companies can benefit from.

Yinchuan International Game Investment Co.Ltd had same point of view on establishing International e-Sport Academy and showed active intention to participate on this project early this year. As they have promised to invest $ 2 million United States Dollar on International e-Sports Academy for 5 years starting from 2016, IeSF can now build infrastructure to train professional e-Sports human resources who could lead the e-sports society.

In 2016, the first year of International e-Sports Academy, IeSF and Yinchuan International Game Investment Co.Ltd plan to develop online and offline training program to train referee and broadcasting human resources by priority, and extend the range of program to train coach and marketer in the following year. Also, IeSF is looking forward to develop e-sports master course where graduates will have opportunity to do internship program at e-sports organization, game developer, and broadcasting company.

Furthermore, IeSF will gain a foothold that e-sports talents can access not only e-sports industry but also other sports industry. With this, IeSF expects e-Sports talents to reach various international sports federations and sports industry which will naturally expand the continuous exchange in both industries. IeSF, by narrowing the gap between e-sports and traditional sports, plans e-Sports to grow as traditional sports in near future.

Mr. Byunghun Jun, the President of IeSF said “e-sports is a fledgling industry. To let e-Sports grow as traditional sports, the foundation of training professional e-Sports human resources should be settled. IeSF, the international sports federation pursuing e-sports to be recognized as the traditional sports, will keep concentrate on the business which IeSF can only do, and cooperate with all e-sports partners which are league organizer, broadcasting company, game developer, each national federation, international sports federation.”

Mr. Alex Lim, the Secretary General of IeSF said “IeSF has finally earned the opportunity to act as an international federation after the establishment of IeSF. IeSF will expand more business starting with International e-Sports Academy. Moreover, IeSF will especially support national federations to build e-Sports infrastructure in each country.”

▶ About IeSF

The International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) is an International Governing Body for e-Sports, established in 2008. Currently IeSF consists of 43 National Federations, who are approved by governments in their countries. As e-Sports has been regarding as one of potential Sport disciplines, many of National Sport Authorities such as Ministry of Sport and National Olympic Committees have been recognize such National e-Sports Federations, as official Sport Governing Body.

Since 2009, IeSF has been hosting e-Sports World Championship every year. More than 400 people from all of IeSF National Federations and more countries participate in the event, as National Athletes approved by their government. All broadcasting contents are delivered to all around the world through online streaming platforms, with more than 2 million viewerships.

IeSF also cooperates with various International Sport Bodies. IeSF manages and operates e-Sports event in Multi Sports Events in the world. Also IeSF has been approved as one of the official signatories of World Anti-Doping Agency in 2013. After approval, IeSF has been conducted doping test for every event, like other sports with IeSF’s own Anti-Doping code. In 2014, IeSF was approved as an International member of TAFISA (The association For International Sport for All), and will manage e-Sports program in 2016 TAFISA World Sport for All Games.

With rapid growth of e-Sports, IeSF is aiming for being affiliated in SportAccord. Regarding perceptions toward e-Sports from National Sport Authorities, it is expected that e-Sports can be admitted as one of official sport discipline in near future, with the recognition of IeSF by SportAccord.

More on transformation!

On Wednesday, 27 May 2015, the Minister of Sports and Recreation announced that a number of national
federations had further committed themselves to transformation.

My last article on transformation created so much ire among gamers that I received over 500 responses. Unfortunately few were able to be posted due to legal constraints.

However what is important is that transformation affects ALL sports and ALL of South Africa.

There were some rather weird reasons given by gamers why transformation should not apply to cyber-sports. One of the reasons was that since computer gaming is a post apartheid activity, transformation should not apply. Another gamer stated that it is not the responsibility of the clans to transform, but for organizations to create new clans among disadvantaged peoples.

On re-reading these comments, I am struck by the naievity of the gamers concerned.

Transformation exists in every aspect of South African life, and no matter if people oppose it, it will be enforced.

Just how it is to be enforced rests with the 'Powers that are'.

Many sporting bodies have gone for the easy route of applying draconian quota systems and by writing transformation into their rules and regulations. Such moves have created a great deal of unhappiness among the sportsmen/sportswomen concerned as some have felt that they have been denied the opportunity to compete at the very highest of levels and feel that they have been denied selection to national teams.

Some  national federations have just buried their heads in the sand and have hoped that the problem would go away. However, that is not going to happen.....

Federations like Mind Sports South Africa have taken a very different approach. The MSSA is active in creating clubs that will cater for the majority of South Africa's population, and have active policies to promote a more sustainable form of development. The MSSA too has come out strongly against the imposition of quotas in the belief that the attempt to force quotas is actually illegal.

After all, development in sport is dependent on transformation in the economy.

It is not possible to get volunteers where people do not have enough money to feed themselves. Nor is it possible to get people to play games when they lack the basic infrastructure, and also lack the equipment that they need to play.

Unfortunately, most South Africans are born into poverty. While the government likes to claim that there is unemployment of 23%, I think that the figure is closer to 80% based on simple maths, being that there are 4 million taxpayers and that there are 25 million South Africans over the age of 18. Thus 4/25*100 = 16% employment.

With such high figures of unemployment, transformation requires an active mentor system by ALL.

Every clan and club should be concerned with transformation. Of course it can all be funded at club level by the National Lottery.

The biggest problem is, quite frankly, that if we do not see it as all of our duties, it may not be long before the rules change, and a form of transformation is thrust upon the gaming community.