Tuks MindSports Club

It has come to my  attention that the Tuks MindSports Club has a new facebook presence, being: https://www.facebook.com/groups/970831249649816/

This is the club that has begun a total domination of South African gaming.

In the club's brief history, it, and its members, have won the following titles:

2014 Gauteng Dota 2 Championships
2014 Gauteng League of Legends Championships
2014 Gauteng Morabaraba Championships
2014 South African National Dota 2 Championships
2014 South African National League of Legends Championships
2014 South African National Ancients Wargames Championships
2015 Gauteng Dota 2 Championships
2015 Gauteng League of Legends Championships
2015 Mpumulanga Ancients Wargames Championships
2015 Mpumulanga League of Legends Championships
2015 South African National League of Legends Championships
2015 South African National Checkers (mens) Championships
2015 South African National Checkers (female) Championships

It is going to be really exciting to see what the club achieves in 2016.

There's one more angel...

'Ykie' and 'Aphrodite'

Maryke 'Ykie' Kennard who achieved so much at the 2015 IeSF World Championship - Seoul as part of the MWEB Protea eSports Team has departed our shores for even sunnier climes.

Yes, indeed, Maryke has left South Africa in favour of Bahrain. 

Maryke was interviewed by Gamezone about the move.

In such interview, Maryke dealt with the topics of: 

• Her achievements
• 2015 IeSF World Championship - Seoul
• Shoutcasting at the 2015 IeSF World Championship - Seoul
• Affiliation to MSSA, and
• Her future.

Certainly MSSA, and all its members, wishes Maryke all the best. 

Maryke leaves a huge gap in South Africa, and only the very best will be  able to fill her shoes.

Is it possible?

This is an interesting query received:

"Is it possible for a team to affiliate with MSSA alone and not my whole team? in other words, may my team affiliate and not my whole organisation?"

I presume from the question, that the writer runs several teams. If that is the case, then the following scenario may be possible: Let's presume that there are two teams where one team is not willing to affiliate to MSSA and the other is willing to affiliate. The team that is willing to affiliate thus constitutes itself as a club and affiliates where the other doesn't. The issue then really depends on what sort of structure in which the two teams operate, and whether the structure of the team management allows that to happen.

May I affiliate my team?

The following question was received:

"Is it possible for a team to affiliate with MSSA alone and not my whole team?"

I presume from the question, that you run several teams. If that is the case, then the following scenario may be possible: Let's presume you run two teams where one team is not willing to affiliate to MSSA and the other is willing to affiliate. The team that is willing to affiliate thus constitutes itself as a club and affiliates where the other doesn't. The issue then really depends on what sort of structure in which the two teams operate, and whether the structure of the team management allows that to happen.

Question just in....

How is this for a  recent question?

"I  really want to play for the national  team. I realise that it  is my only chance to go overseas and be noticed. Unfortunately my team owner (redacted) has signed a contract with its sponsors that forbids me and all other team members to play for a team  that is not sponsored by that  sponsor. The team owner also refuses to allow the team to take part in MSSA events".

Well, this  is a very complex legal  issue.

If the team owner has signed a contract with  the team's sponsors that  the team members may only play for a team sponsored by such sponsor, then, short of resigning from such team, the player concerned will not be able to play for the national team  if such sponsor does not also sponsor the national team as well.

Also, if the team owner does not want his team to participate in MSSA events, that is his  choice entirely.

However, why anyone would play for such a team is beyond me as the players will be forfeiting many opportunities and limiting their own futures.

Players need to look at their opportunities in both the short-term and the long-term.

However, it must be noted that  a team that is 'owned' by any one individual would not be able to affiliate to MSSA.

MSSA is a non-profit organisation, and only other non-profit organisations may affiliate to MSSA.

Of course is a player is playing for an organisation that  is other than a non-profit  organisation, it could also then be argued that the player is employed by such owner/company. It such a case the Basic Employment Act would apply and the players would be entitled to all sorts of benefits -- including a salary.

Happy 2016!

May I play?

A couple of days ago, I received a query from a gamer asking:

"May my team play in both MSSA championships and in TELKOM gaming?"

The short answer is, yes!

For many years  there has been quite a bit of inaccurate information given out by gamers that if a team played in MSSA events, such team would not be allowed to play  in other events.

THIS IS QUITE UNTRUE, and always has  been!

Any team affiliated to a club affiliated to MSSA may play in any league/championship/competition.

The Calendar  of Events for 2016 is:

2016 Calendar of events

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
13 & 14 FEB	OE Summer Championships	Ancients (500pts), Draughts, Morabaraba	Blue Room, Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave, Lower Houghton, Jhb
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	TBA
26 & 27 MARCH	33rd GAUTENG Championships	All	TBA
9 & 10 APRIL	Provincial School Championships	Board and Figure games	TBA
16 APRIL	Dota 2 Online Championships CounterStrike GO, League of Legends	eSports (PC)	On-line
30 APRIL & 1 MAY	22nd KWAZULU NATAL Championships	All	TBA
28 & 29 MAY	15th MPUMALANGA Championships	All	TBA
28 MAY	FINANCIAL AGM	Meeting	TBA
25 & 26 JUNE	13th FREE STATE Championships	All	TBA
23 JULY	City of Johannesburg Regionnal 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	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

Something big is about to happen....

Swedish and South African flags with MSSA logo in the middle

There have been rumours  that MSSA was planning something for 2015...

It seems  as though  this is a case of there being 'no smoke without fire'!


As we move further-and-further into 2016, MSSA is  releasing cryptic clues.

On facebook, MSSA has stated to date: 

8/1/2016: Someone very special is coming to SA... Just who can it be?

9/1/2016: The very special someone is coming from @svenskesport

On Twitter, MSSA has stated:
9/1/2016: The very special someone is coming from @svenskesport #eSports
I just can't wait for the big reveal!
Who is it?
For which game title is it?
Ooh, it is just too exciting!

What is the role of MSSA's President?

Simphiwe Maphumulo - president of MSSA

Even SASCOC seems to battle with this as a concept.

The role of the  president is a purely constitutional one.

The  president is the  public  officer, he is the mouth-piece of  MSSA, he represents MSSA at official functions,  and he chairs  the Management Board Meetings, executive Committee  and Annual General Meetings.

Thus the President  is only able to give the official view as decided upon by the various committees.

Of course some would  have it another way.

In some organisations, like the  Old Edwardian Society, the President only has to look after the dignity of the  organisation -  like the  British  Monarchy - where  the Queen does not interfere in  the sordid matter of  politics,  but instead maintains the dignity of the state.

Similarly, in the  Old  Edwardian Society, it is the  Chairman who gets  down to the everyday business.

However, no matter what form an association takes, whether  it be SASCOC, IOC, FINA, SARFU, ASA, the president may only exercise the powers accorded to him/her by the body's constitution, and may only represent the agreed will of such body.

If only....

Finland vs MWEB Protea eSports Team

Turning on my television my senses were again bombarded by cricket...

Now that is all well and good, especially for cricket  lovers, but for those who do not really care much for  cricket (which quite frankly) is  the majority of the population, it is  somewhat of a bore!

One can also only imagine if all of the other sports were given the same amount of coverage, how much bigger and better funded would those sports be?

Even 'Cinderella' sports would grow exponentially as many of such sports would  be much more interesting to watch, and with increased advertising would be able to far more entertaining to the viewer at home.

However, for eSports, which already, in my opinion, is in the  top five watched sports, increased TV coverage would see benefits accrue  to players  on a never-before-level.
Yet SABC TV, and SUPERSPORT stick to the tried-and-tested recipe and will probably only change once they have  realised that they are flogging a 'dead-horse'.

Will Vasudev have another stellar year?

Vasudev 'Taga Kahn' Stringer

2015 was without doubt a good year for Vasudev 'Taga Kahn' Stringer.

In July Vasudev won Ster Kinekor Entertainment's MORTAL KOMBAT X competition to become the undisputed unofficial champion of the  game title.

Then,  later in the year, Vasudev was selected to represent South Africa in the MWEB Protea ESports Team at the IeSF's 7th World Championships in Seoul for the title  of League of Legends.

At such IeSF 7th World Championships Vasudev was instrumental in helping South Africa fight itself into 12th place in the world rankings.

With the introduction of MORTAL KOMBAT X into MSSA's official line-up,  Vasudev may just have found yet another game title to take yet another official title.