Test match: South Africa vs Namibia - Event URL - https://www.seisport.tv/events/c/0/i/45306445/event-94

Event URL - https://www.seisport.tv/events/c/0/i/45306445/event-94

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) once again sees its official Protea Esports Team for DotA 2 take on the might of neighbouring Namibia in an action-packed test match.

Namibia beat the Protea Team at IESF's 11th World Championships (Seoul) in 2019, and South Africa has every intention to even the score.

Event URL - https://www.seisport.tv/events/c/0/i/45306445/event-94

Also read:

• Test match between Namibia and South Africa.
• Thanks to all involved...
• Revised 2020 Calendar of events - National Team Trials
• New National Team Selection Criteria
• Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• The road to Eilat
• IESF announces first three titles for 12th World Championships

South Africa to play against Namibia on 16 June 2018.

Alasdair Donaldson (in Protea shirt) dispatching Nambia's attack at IESF's 9th World Championships - Busan.

South Africa shall once again take on Namibia in an exciting online international test match in the esports titles of FIFA '18 and TEKKEN 7 on Saturday, 16 June 2018.

South Africa had an unbeaten record against Namibia prior to 2017. However Namibia, over the years, has improved their standard enormously to have a shock victory over South Africa in the FIFA esports title.

Nevertheless, MSSA (South Africa's official national federation for esports) is confident that South Africa's system of Regional, Provincial, and National Championships has put its players in good stead to once again exert its dominance over Namibia.

Certainly, at IESF's 9th World Championships -Busan, South Africa's Alasdair Donaldson easily dispatched of Namibia's star player in the TEKKEN 7 esports title.

Thus MSSA is quietly confident of a victory over Namibia in both the titles on 16 June 2018.

The South African Team shall play from the Old Edwardian Society. The players  shall be awarded their Protea Colours immediately prior to the Confederation of African Esports (CAeS) accredited test match.

The team to officially represent South Africa shall be selected at MSSA's National Team Trials (NTT) to be held on 2 & 3 June 2018.

The match shall be filmed and shown on MSSA's channel on TULUNTULU.

Schedule for National Team Trials.

Mind Sports South Africa's annual National Team Trials for esports are used to select its various teams for the different titles as played at National Championship level.

Even if a title is not played at IESF World Championships, should MSSA select a team for the title, MSSA will arrange a test match against another country for such title.

In such way, MSSA ensures that there is greater exposure for South African players and that the various South African Esports Teams can be better developed.

Thus the Selection Committee has approved the Tournament schedule to be used at National Team Trials 2018 is per the 2018 Provincial championship schedule with the proviso that all persons entering will make themselves available to the selectors from 0800 - 18:00 on the day of the discipline being played.

The schedule is therefore as follows:

SATURDAY:		SUNDAY:
StarCraft II		DotA 2
Counter-Strike: GO (CS:GO)		League of Legends (LoL)
FIFA’18		PES (Pro Evolution Soccer)
HearthStone		TEKKEN 7
Ultimate Street Fighter V		Rocket League

National team trials shall begin at 09H00 and end at 18H00. Umpires will be there on the day to assist with any queries you might have.

In summary:

• Date: 2 & 3 June 2018
• Time: 08h00 - 18h00
• Venue: Vereeniging Gimnasium, 40 De Villiers Avenue, Vereeniging
• Contact person for the venue: Ruann Swart Phone: 079 422 8713 or E-mail: ruannswart@yahoo.com
• Entrance fee: R64.00 per player per title
• Accommodation: Available on request
• Entries: Enter on Google Drive Page
• All paperwork must be supplied by the 25^th of May 2018

Any other queries must be sent through to: mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com.

Kyle Turnbull wins!

Kyle Turnbull having received his Protea Colours

We are all aware that Kyle Turnbull, from HTS Witbank, is without doubt the best FIFA eSports gamer in South Africa as he has been crowned the SA National Champion twice in as many years.

However, with his impending international test match as the newest member of the MWEB Protea eSports Team, a certain degree of nervousness flickered among all gamers as they saw the list of impressive credentials exhibited by his Zimbabwean opponent.

Rowen Phiri was a veteran international player, and a professional to boot!

Nevertheless, Kyle remained upbeat about the test match and showed remarkable focus.

After the customary award ceremony whereat Kyle Turnbull was awarded his Protea Colours, the games began.

The seamless internet connection at the The Mana Pool 41 Duncan Street, corner of Mandela and Duncan Street, Witbank, Mpumalanga ensured that the on-line test match was without fault.

The first game started slowly with each gamer testing every aspect of each other's play. At half-time the score was thus only 0 – 0. However, after half time Kyle swung into action and dominated possession. Seven shots were made on goal before Kyle scored. The assembled audience rose as won in delight!

Kyle maintained the pressure, but was able to score.

Thus the first game was a victory to Kyle and South Africa.

Kyle between games

In the second game, a more confident Kyle showed no quarter.

Kyle shot out like a stampeding bull and, in quick succession, slammed four goals in before Rowen had time to retaliate with a goal of his own.

Kyle the slammed in yet another goal to win the second game of the test match by 5 goals to 1.

Thus South Africa proudly won the first eSports Test Match ever against Zimbabwe.

Nevertheless, the sportsmanship shown by Rowen Phiri was exemplorary. Rowen too has vowed to reverse the score in the next test match.

Kyle Turnbull has thus made his mark not only in gaming in South Africa, but is slowly climbing the ladder in international gaming.

It will now be interesting to see who his next opponent will be….

South Africa vs Egypt - Shoutcasting

The Test Match against Egypt will be streamed out via MWEB's Twitch Channel > http://www.twitch.tv/mwebgamezone/

The test match begins at 16H00.

Casters:

Name: Kyle Wolmarans
Alias: Congo
Bio: MWEB GameZone Dota 2 caster

Name: Lutando Ngqakaza
Alias: Crazymonkey
Bio: eSports and gaming fanatic, gaming guru. Been involved in gaming since 2004 in Dota and Counter-strike.

Name: Tristan Bridger
Alias: ClitsybananaS
Bio: Retired member and carry player for Energy eSports. Winners of DGC 2013. Dota 2 co-caster and analyst.

What makes an official international test match?

With great dismay I see that some people still do not understand the concept of international test matches.

There still seem to be people who seem to be battling with the concept, in that they presume that national federations have to be part of a government department,

Aargh!

It is like hitting your head against a brick wall.

International sporting bodies do not allow governments to control national sports bodies. Certainly the IOC takes a very dim view of government involvement and have been known to act against National Olympic Committees and National Federations alike when government involves itself in the affairs of the body in question.

Thus the national bodies for athletics, swimming, rugby, cricket, jukskei, golf, are almost all identical in structure and type.

Not only are National Federations precluded from having government involvement, but all sporting bodies are private associations or non profit companies. These types of bodies through these legal forms, thus protect their independence from interference from all non members.

But what then makes an official international test match?

The answer is simply, affiliation to the international federation and compliance with the rules.

Yes, it is that simple!

With the MSSA affiliated to the IeSF, any match that meets the criteria of a test match as laid down by the IeSF is an official test match.

If the International Federation says it is so, then it is so!

Of course, all the participants in the test match have to comply with the rules. Those that do not, may after proper investigation be sanctioned. Such sanction may take various forms depending on the level of the infraction.

However, the test matches are a great way for a country to improve its average standard by getting its players to play against gamers who they could only otherwise dream of playing.

The benefits are huge, and the opportunities are only limited by one's own imagination.