Move over Chad le Clos, eSports is coming!

The International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) has taken its first step towards the recognition of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

IeSF has submitted to IOC the “Official Letter of Request” on February 19^th to make its first action to attain the recognition, followed by an answer on April 8^th, by IOC, explaining the detailed procedure and next steps the federation should take. IeSF will submit all related documents for the recognition process and will undergo its first evaluation in December this year.

For the past years, IeSF has been working hard to increase its collaboration with various international sports society members to leverage e-sport into the sports sector. In 2013, it became the official signatory of WADA (World Anti Doping Agency), and also worked togather with OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) by managing the e-Sport event during the tournament. It has also been a member of TAFISA (The Association for International Sports for All) since 2014, and will be hosting the 8^th e-Sports World Championship in October during the 2016 World Sports for All Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Last year in 2015, IeSF has signed an official Partnership agreement with IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), being connected to one oldest and profound organizations in the sports sector.

IeSF will be taking part in the SportAccord Convention next week, from April 18^th – 22^nd , to take further steps in the sports society. IeSF Secretary General Alex Lim, will be officially participating in the panel discussion during the convention conference program, to increase awareness of e-sports in the international sports society and also portray its official recognition as a sport.

“IeSF is currently working hard to receive SportAccord membership, and simultaneously taking an additional challenge this year to take its steps for IOC recognition” said Byung Hun Jun, President of IeSF. “We still have many tasks to cover and this will be indeed a difficult challenge. Nevertheless, we will keep on driving our forces for e-sports to become an official sport and also care for the welfare of e-sport athletes. This challenge can be successfully completed with the continuous support from our e-sport fans, Athletes, game companies, and partners working together in the e-sports industry”

2016 will be an exciting and challenging year for IeSF. IeSF will continue to develop the “IeSF e-Sports Academy”, manage the e-sports event during 2016 World Sports for All Games, and also work with its utmost strength to be recognized by IOC and attain SportAccord Membership.

So, you want to help do you?

Morizane Boyes

MSSA members should be aware that MSSA is short of a number of Provincial Directors, such as:

Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu Natal
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape

In order to function properly, especially apropos the Inter-Provincial Test Matches, MSSA Management Board has agreed that there should be Provincial Directors for at least 5 provinces.

Any member may start making proposals of member players to fill these positions.

Please note that the deadline is 30 April 2016.

All nominations must be accompanied by a signed Letter of Undertaking.

National Team Trials (NTT) - 4 June 2016

MSSA's logo and Protea badge

With MSSA's National Team Trials (NTT) fast approaching, many gamers are readying themselves for such 'Trials'.

It is at such 'Trials' that MSSA shall select a small. but dedicated, group of gamers to once again represent South Africa in international competition.

The Protea Teams shall be selected to participate in a number of international events. Thus gamers selected are required to be available for all such international events.

Thus, Aperture Gaming's statement on MWEB's GAMEZONE that, "Based on the contracts we signed...DGL... will hold priority over any other tournament that falls within the same period and we (the MGO's) will be obligated to participate in the masters."

Such a contract would exclude any of the players participating in such event from team selection.

Imagine the embarrassment caused to the country if the IeSF sets a date for the event and South Africa is a no-show. Years of hard work would  be instantaneously undone. Instead of  having a 'favoured' position, South Africa would become yet another member, and perhaps  even pick up 'pariah' status.

Of course it is a club versus country scenario.

However, I believe that country is paramount. The honour to represent your country eclipses all else.

There is no value that can even rival what playing for your country can do for you - but that's a different article.

Revised MSSA 2016 Calendar of Events

2016 Calendar of events

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
6 FEB	SOUTH AFRICA vs GHANA	FIFA '16	On-line
13 & 14 FEB	OE Summer Championships	Ancients (600pts), Draughts, Morabaraba	Blue Room, Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave, Lower Houghton, Jhb
16 FEB	Closing date for On-line Inter-school Provincial Championships	CS:GO, DotA, FIFA, HearthStone, LOL, SC, TTT II	Admin
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	St Conrad's College, Klerksdorp
26 & 27 MARCH	33rd GAUTENG Championships	All	Tuks, University of Pretoria
9 & 10 APRIL	Provincial School Championships	Board and Figure games	Gauteng: Old Edwardian Society, Jhb Mapumulanga: HTS Witbank
16 APRIL	Dota 2 Online Championships CounterStrike GO, League of Legends, Street Fighter V	eSports (PC)	On-line
28 & 29 MAY	15th MPUMALANGA Championships	All	HTS Witbank, Witbank
28 MAY	FINANCIAL AGM	MeetingHTS Witbank, Witbank	HTS Witbank, Witbank
4 JUNE	Esports National Team Trials	CS:GO, DotA, FIFA, HearthStone, LOL, SC, TTT II	TBA
18 & 19 JUNE	Riverview Preparatory Wargames Club	Flames of War	Riverview Prep. Malelane.
25 & 26 JUNE	13th FREE STATE Championships	All	TBA
9 & 10 JULY	22nd KWAZULU NATAL Championships	All	Maritzburg College, Pietermaritzburg
23 JULY	City of Johannesburg Regional 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	Parklands College, 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

MSSA's Schools Provincial Championships for Board games and Wargames - 9 & 10 April 2016

MSSA's Schools Provincial Championships for Board games and Wargames shall be held at:

Gauteng: The Blue Room, Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Avenue, Lower Houghton on 9 & 10 April 2016.
Mpumulanga: HTS Witbank, Witbank on 9 & 10 April 2016.

The championships shall start on both days at 9H00. Players need to register at least 30 minutes before the start of play.

The following periods are to be played should sufficient entries be received.

Period	Starting times
	Saturday		Sunday
	Times	# of rounds	Times	# of rounds
Ancients	9H00-17H00	2	9H00-17H00	2
Backgammon	9H00-17H00	5
Checkers (8 x 8)	9H00-17H00	5
Draughts (Brazilian)	9H00-17H00	5
Draughts (International)	9H00-17H00	5
Diplomacy	9H00-17H00	2	9H00-17H00	2
Horse & Musket	9H00-17H00	2	9H00-17H00	2
Morabaraba	9H00-17H00	5
SesothoMorabaraba	9H00-17H00	5
Pike & Shot	9H00-17H00	2	9H00-17H00	2
World War II	9H00-17H00	2	9H00-17H00	2

In keeping with Mind Sport South Africa's policies re development programmes, entries are free and gratis to all players who are currently registered as learners. 

All entries, and army lists (if applicable) must be e-mailed to: Ewan Retief at ewan.retief@gmail.com on or before 7 April 2016.

Rules and Regulations: All Rules and Regulations pertaining to board and figure games are available from the MSSA. Players are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with all Period Specific Rules. If any Player wishes to provide advice regarding the drafting of the Period Specific Rules they are encouraged to contact the Figure Gaming Board of Control who will take all comments into account.

The following Medals may be awarded at the MSSA's Gauteng Schools Championship for both females and males:

• HIGH SCHOOL: Medals shall be awarded to the first three players who are registered players in such category.

• PRIMARY SCHOOL: Medals shall be awarded to the first three players who are registered players in such category.

Colours and National Team Trials:

• Provincial Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a Provincial Championship will earn School Provincial Colours. All Players who score within the top 50% in a specific Period at a Provincial Championship, and who also score within the top 50% at a National or Provincial Championship in the same period and in the same year, will earn Provincial Colours in their category.

• National Team Trials: All Players that score within the top 20% or top three places, whichever is greater, in a specific Period at a Provincial or National Championship will earn an invitation to National Team Trials for the Junior National Team. National Team Trials shall be held in the event that a National Team must be selected to represent South Africa when competing in such Period in an International Championship.

2016 On-line Provincial Championships - 16 April 2016

The MSSA is proud to announce that it shall host the 2016  On-line Provincial Championships, which will offer local players the opportunity to qualify for the National Team Trials (NTT).

In 2016 MSSA selected official teams for DotA 2, CounterStrike: GO, FIFA '15, HearthStone, League of Legends and StarCraft II. Players so selected earned full Protea Colours for the respective games and represented the country with pride.

The 2016 On-line Provincial Championships is one of the last opportunities for gamers to qualify for the National Team Trials LAN that shall be held on 4 June 2016
.

The championship shall be held on 16 April 2016.

Game titles to be played are:

• CounterStrike: GO
• DotA 2
• League of Legends
• Street Fighter V
  

MSSA would also like to thank MWEB, in line with their continued support for gaming in South Africa, for extending their sponsorship to include all Mind Sports Online Championships. None of this would be possible without the continued support from MWEB.

Tournament Structure:

As per the MSSA's rules, being:

• If less than six teams, the championship shall be a Round Robin Championship
• If 6 to 10 teams enter the championship there shall be four rounds as played to the Swiss System
• If 11 or more teams enter the championship there shall be five rounds as played to the Swiss System

Eligibility:

• Any team consisting of players who are Registered Players affiliated to a MSSA member club may enter.

Entry fee:

• Entry is free to all full-paid-up Registered Players.
• Only fully-paid-up Registered Players may participate in this event.

Entry date:

• Entries need to be submitted by no later than Wednesday, 13 April 2016.

Medals:

      MALE

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.
• UNIVERSITY: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.
• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals. 

FEMALE:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.
• UNIVERSITY: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.
• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals.

Colours:

• Protea Colours: Only Players that are selected to represent South Africa in International Championships may earn National Colours if the Protea Colours Board's criteria are met.
• National Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a National Championship will earn National Colours.
• Provincial Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a Provincial Championship will earn Provincial Colours. All Players who score within the top 50% in a specific Period at a Provincial Championship, and who also score within the top 50% at a National Championship in the same period and in the same year, will earn Provincial Colours.

When and Where:

• 16 April 2016
• The first round will start at 09H00. Players shall be given 60 minutes to complete each round.
• The championship is accredited as being of the same status as a provincial championship. This means that the championship shall be used for the following:
• The awarding of provincial colours;
• The awarding of medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in Premier, Under 24, and School categories;
• The ability to qualify for National Team Trials.
• All medals shall be awarded to the recipients at a MSSA LAN championships.
• Registered Players of the teams that finish in the top three or the top 20% (whichever is greater) as per the Regulations may enter the National Team Trials. As per the Regulations all such players who qualify from the genre as a whole shall be invited. The Registered Players that enter the Trials shall organise themselves into teams that:

1. All come from the same area. In other words everybody in the team must reside within 50km's, as the crow flies, to each other, or
2. Any team that does not comply with point 1 above, will have to undertake to get the players in their team who are not in the same area to the venue for the test matches at their own expense.
3. As usual Trials shall be done at a LAN venue, and the team that can best represent South Africa shall then be selected. The venue for the National Team Trials LAN shall be announced immediately after the Mpumulanga Championships.

Entries:

• All clubs must enter their teams via the Google Drive.

Shout casting:

• MSSA shall decide who may shout-cast the games.
• anybody wishing to be appointed as a Shout-Caster must apply in writing to mindsportssa@iafrica.com