CounterStrike: GO - Parklands faces off against Westville.

Mind Sports South Africa's Online School League for 4 term schools is now entering its 4th week.

In the CounterStrike: GO esports title, two schools stand out above all the others. Such schools are Parklands College (Cape Town) and Westville Boys' High school (Durban).

both schools find themselves on 9 points and having beaten every other school team that they have come up against. Schools such as Glenwood, Jeppe Boys', Empangeni, and Maritzburg College were unable to stop the two schools.

Thus in the forth round, Parklands and Westville find themselves paired off against each other in their bid to take the Online School League.

Not only have both schools demonstrated great skill, but both schools have too demonstrated the best of sportsmanship.

Changes to VISA categories for sports persons - Australia

Overview 

There are many visa options available for visiting Australia. This fact sheet is a general guide to the most common visa options for those travelling to Australia to participate in sporting events. The information contained in this fact sheet is current as at 23 November 2016. Australian law may change after this time resulting in a change in visa options.

Please check the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s website for further information: www.border.gov.au/

New Zealand citizens should refer to the Department’s website: www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/444- Visa Options

Visitor visas 

An amateur sports person is defined as a person who does not derive their main income from their sport. If you are an amateur sports person or a person that supports an amateur player or team on a genuine unpaid volunteer basis (for example: a coach, team official, or referee), you may be eligible for one of the following

• Visitor visas: - Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) - eVisitor (subclass 651) - 
• Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the tourist stream 

You must not be paid for participating in the event, or for supporting an amateur player or team.

However, you may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses such as accommodation and meals.

Amateur players may generally receive small amounts of prize money for their participation in the event. Spectators and family members of amateur players may also be eligible for a Visitor visa.

Further information about the specific requirements of Visitor visas is available on the Department’s website: www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Appl/Visitor

Quick Moriarty, it's Goon Squad.

Goon Squad at MSSA's recent National Team Trials.

Goon Squad (VexxedPhoenix Gaming Club) has enjoyed a number of successes in 2017, but who are the athletes in the team?

Brandon “Brafester” Fester 

Brandon Fester’s history in competitive eSports started four years ago where he captained a team of friends, with the goal to be the best. His determination and passion helped his teammates, and opponents, grow as players and people, but his leadership is what ultimately pushed him to the top.

He is currently captain of the Goon Squad, which is without doubt one of the strongest team in the country for League of Legends. He too promotes growth and development in his communities and organisation.

He is currently working on improving his individual skill and preparing his teams for various League of Legends tournaments.

Gregory “JewTron’ Wessels:

The dark horse of the team. Often easily written off by his opponents, but he delivers when his team needs him most. With a supportive jungling style, and a “team comes first” attitude, JewTron allows for the players around him to do what they do best. He is the ultimate team player.

Over the course of his playing career, JewTron has played many a different roles. However, it is the jungle he could call his home.

Connor “Kiddo” Cryans:

The League of Legends child prodigy. Kiddo will often use his strong mechanical abilities to win games on his own, but it’s his flexibility by being able to play every role at a proficient level that makes him one of the best players the country has to offer.

His drive to be the best, along with his compassion and loyalty towards his teammates, has also propelled his development in the field of leadership and, despite his young age, he has already reached a veteran status in the League of Legends South Africa community.

Brett “Clax” Whitehead:

One half of the most dominant botlane the country has ever had to offer. Clax began his career in the midlane, where many of the top teams noticed his mechanical skill on a variety of high skill ceiling champions.

However, it was not until his move to VnR, and subsequently the ADC role, that he truly made a mark on the South African scene. One of the best players, and currently the best ADC in the country, Clax’s aggressive playstyle and die-hard attitude makes for a fearsome player.

Kyle “youNique” Taylor

The other half of the most dominant botlane the country has ever had to offer. The best support in the country; youNique’s consistency at high level play, in-game leadership, and mechnical prowess often have him touted as the best player in general.

As an ex-captain, youNique possesses a variety of trait such as leadership, commitment, dedicated and drive. His passion for the game and being the best truly helps inspire those around him.

Three exciting Regional Championships to take place in September 2017.

South Africa has 56 regions within the nine provinces. The districts are the municipal districts as defined by the South African government. The South African Confederation of South African Sport (SASCOC) and the Minister of Sport and Recreation considers growth at the Regions as vital to the growth of sport in South Africa as a whole.

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) totally subscribes to the above.

Thus MSSA has implemented the policy of holding Regional Championships. It is hoped that the Regional Championships will be expanded to each and every region in the country, as the championships will undoubtedly help:

1. Strengthen clubs that are in each region,
2. Encourage clubs to grow in regions that as yet do not have member clubs, and
3. Allow a greater base of players to participate in official MSSA championships without having to travel vast distances.

However, the MSSA is aware that many of the clubs do not have the financial resources and 'know-how' to host a full provincial championship. Thus the Regional championships are designed to be much smaller affairs. 

Host clubs may host only the period that such club has an active interest in promoting. Thus there could be a Regional event held for each period within a Region at a different time – as long as the host clubs within the Region have met with all the criteria for such.

As an example, a member club like St John's may very well host the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Regional Championships, while the Old Edwardian Wargames Club could hosts the CoJ Ancients Regional Championships, while Wits University could host the CoJ Regional Championships for Board games and Starcraft II, and Northcliff High School could host the CoJ Regional Championships for CounterStrike:  GO and DotA 2.

Regional Championships do not have to be held only for the titles which are played at National and/or Provincial Championships.

Regional Championships may be held  in ANY game title.

Thus Regional championships ,may be played in the esports titles of Minecraft, Overwatch, Rocket League, Quake, and so forth. This is so that MSSA can objectively evaluate the grass-roots support for the  various titles. The more that a title  is played at Regional Championship level, the more likely that the title will be included as a Provincial and National Championship title.

Through Regional Championships, MSSA is creating a larger pool of clubs that are able to host championships, as well as creating a larger pool of athletes who qualify for National Team Trials.

The three Regional Championships earmarked for September are:

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
2 SEPTEMBER	Sedibeng Regional Championships	FIFA ‘17, Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat X, TEKKEN TAG II, StarCraft II, Checkers, Morabaraba	NWU Mind Sports Club, Vaal Triangle Campus
9 & 10 SEPTEMBER	City of Johannesburg Championships	Sat. Morabaraba & StarCraft II Sun. Ancients & FIFA	Blue Room Old Edwardian Society 11 Ninth Ave Lower Houghton
30 SEPTEMBER	Polokwane Regional Championships	CounterStrike: GO League of Legends	HTS Tom Naudé~ Polokwane

Another school affiliates.

PEPPS Preparatory School and College

There is not a month that goes by that Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) does not have new clubs apply for, and be accepted into, membership.

According to their web-page, PEPPSPreparatory School and College stands for the Project for the Establishment of Primary and Pre-Primary Schools. PEPPS was founded by Patrick Hamilton, previously the Headmaster of WHPS Preparatory School in Pretoria. The original vision of PEPPS was to establish multi-racial, affordable, private schools which offered quality education. In 1990 parents from the then Pietersburg, having heard of the Project which had already established schools in Edenvale and Atteridgeville, approached Patrick Hamilton to open a PEPPS in town. PEPPS Polokwane was established in 1991 in a house in Koppiefontein. In 1992 the school moved to its present site in Myngenoegen; 9 hectares of naturally beautiful ground with over one hundred indigenous trees.  In 1994 growing demand lead to the extension of the Preparatory School to Grade 9 and in 1996 the school was further extended to Grade 12.

However, the affiliation of PEPPS means that there are now four member clubs in Polokwane. 

This is a huge improvement over 2016 where there was not a single club in the Limpopo Province.

Such affiliation also indicates the changing attitudes towards esports, for even though esports was accepted as a sport in 2005 in South Africa (through MSSA's efforts), huge barriers still had to be overcome as some parents and school governing bodies remained cautious of this new sport.

It is thanks to the progressive schools that are now members that esports has turned the corner and, in my opinion, that the next steps can be taken in getting esports into the Olympics.
MSSA wishes PEPPSPreparatory School and College a long and fruitful association.

What if esports is accepted into the Olympics.

MSSA's 2016 Protea League of Legends Team getting ready to  play.

There is much speculation that esports has a chance of being accepted into the Olympic Games by 2024.

Of course this is a goal to which Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has been working towards for many years.

But what will would happen if esports is accepted as an official Olympic code?

Like any other sport, athletes would probably only be able to qualify if they are members of the national federation. In the case of esports, the national federation is Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA).

The national  federation would have to be a member of the international governing body, and it is such international governing body that would liaise with IOC officials as to which game titles would be included.

Registration opens for Global Esports Executive Summit (GEES) 2017

International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) has confirmed the six agendas to be discussed at the Global Esports Executive Summit (GEES) 2017. 

Following the GEES 2016 which was held in Shanghai, the GEES 2017 will be held in Busan, at the International Passenger Terminal Convention Center on November 13th - 15th.

The agenda of GEES 2017 is as follows:

• Esports to Olympics
• Future Direction of Esports
• Esports Relations with Public Sector
• Esports Betting
• Making One Esports World
• Esports Academic Society

GEES 2017 will be added with new programs such as ‘B2B Promotion Zone’ and ‘New Esports Showcase’. B2B zone is an exhibition booth for GEES 2017 partners to increase their brand exposure, and the showcase is an opportunity to give potential developers to showcase their new esports discipline.

The Summit is to be held directly after the end of the 9th esports World Championship, and is expected to be hosted on a larger scale than before with more than 200 officials from both side of sports and esports. For a more detailed introduction to the event, please refer to the official website http://iesf.rsportz.com/ where registration is also possible.

For information on the announcement of GEES 2017, please refer to the article link below:

http://www.ie-sf.org/news/global-esports-executive-summit-2017-to-be-held-in-busan-korea/

Results: 23rd KwaZulu Natal Championships - 5 and 6 August 2017.

A successful Maritzburg College CounterStrike: GO team having received their KZN Provincial Colours.

Mind Sports South Africa's 23rd KwaZulu Natal Provincial Championships were held on 5 and 6 August 2017 and was once again hosted by the wonderful Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg. The championship was a fantastic success with entries increasing by 70% over the 2016 numbers.

The College proved its organising abilities, for, at the same time as hosting MSSA's 23rd KwaZulu Natal Provincial Championships, the College also hosted Pretoria Boys' High School in rugby and hockey.

This is the second consecutive year that Maritzburg College has hosted such championship. The school is thus fast gaining a reputation for becoming the center for gaming in KwaZulu Natal.

The successful hosting of provincial events is vital if a province wants to get to host National Team Trials (NTT) as NTT is always held in the province which  has delivered the most players eligible for such Trials.

Special thanks must be extended to the school, Mr Alwyn van Wyk, all the administrators, umpires, participants and spectators for making a truly memorable event.

It was great to see so many parents come through to watch and encourage their children on to greater heights.

The championship only attracted players from Free State, and KwaZulu Natal as players battled it out to earn the title of KwaZulu Natal Champion in the various games on offer, as well as the right to fight for a place in the 2018 National Team Trials that will ultimately deliver the National Protea teams that will compete in various international events.

The province of KwaZulu Natal is too experiencing the greatest amount of growth, and now has 5 member clubs whereas last year, there was only one such member club.

Now that MSSA has a channel on Tuluntulu, much of the footage filmed at such 23rd KwaZulu Natal Provincial Championships will be screened on such channel.

Of course there were upsets.... Champions went down, but more about that later...

The full list of winners is:

Title	Name of player/team	Club	Colours awarded
Checkers	Mahomed Moosa	Maritzburg College	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Checkers (High School)	(tie) Yadhav Maharaj & Carl Martin	Maritzburg College
Counterstrike: GO	MC: GO 1	Maritzburg College	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Counterstrike: GO (High School)	MC: GO 2	Maritzburg College
DotA 2	WBHS DotA	Westville Boys High School	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
FIFA ‘17 (female)	Leoné Loftus	Fakkel School
FIFA '17	Odwa Mthethwa	Maritzburg College
FIFA '17 (High School)	Ruben Du Preez	Maritzburg College
FIFA '17 (Primary School)	Joel van Wyk	All Stars
HearthStone	Aaron Mulligan	Maritzburg College	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Morabaraba (female)	Paula Loftus	Masters of Mind Sports	Free State Provincial Colours
Morabaraba	Mussie Cabreab	Northwood Boys’ High School	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Mortal Kombat X (female)	Leoné Loftus	Fakkel School
Mortal Kombat X	Leonard Loftus	Masters of Mind Sports	Free State Provincial Colours
Mortal Kombat X (High School)	Gregory Haripersad	Maritzburg College
PES 2017 (female)	Leoné Loftus	Fakkel School
PES 2017	Gordon McCormack	JCS Academy
StarCraft II	Michael Wanson	Blue Dragon	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Street Fighter V (female)	Angelique Taljaard	Fakkel School
Street Fighter V	Carl McNeill	CPT Mind Sports	KwaZulu Natal Provincial Colours
Street Fighter V (High School)	Aaron Mulligan	Maritzburg College
Tekken 7 (female)	Leoné Loftus	Fakkel School
Tekken 7	Joost Loftus	Maritzburg College
Tekken 7 (High School)	Gregory Haripersad	Maritzburg College	KwaZulu Natal High School Provincial Colours
Tekken 7 (Primary School)	Joel van Wyk	All Stars
VainGlory	MC VG	Maritzburg College	KwaZulu Natal High School Provincial Colours

Official titles for IeSF's 9th Esports World Championships - BUSAN (2017).

International e-Sports Federation (IeSF), today announced that the official titles for 9^th Esports World Championship BUSAN 2017 has been finalized to be three game titles: League of Legends (LoL), Counter Strike:Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Tekken7 are the lists of official titles. IeSF already disclosed these game titles on its social media page. After navigating the chances for any additional game titles, IeSF decided to close reception of additional game titles as considering the feasible period of national qualifiers.

For team events, CS:GO has been selected again from last year, and LoL has been selected for the fourth time since IeSF 2013 World Championship in Bucharest, Romania. For Individual event, after ‘Tekken Tag Tournament 2’ being played as an official title for three years from IeSF 2012 World Championship, the newest package, ‘Tekken7’ will be presented this time. All the participation to official disciplines will be as ‘Open For All’, regardless of gender, disabilities or age.

Also, IeSF announced that the 1^st Entry Registration has been closed as total of 455 participants from 39 countries registered for the 9^th Esports World Championship BUSAN 2017. 171 participants from 14 countries of Asia, 199 participants from 16 countries of Europe, 14 participants from 3 country of America, 31 participants from 2 countries of Oceania, and 40 participants from 4 countries of Africa (including South Africa) have registered to the 1st Entry. Also, for each game titles, 30 countries registered for League of Legends (LoL), 30 countries registered for Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), and 28 countries registered for TEKKEN7.

The 2^nd Entry Registration which confirms final entry will be opened until 18^th of September. During 2^nd Entry, each National Federation conducts National Qualifier and finalizes the participation of national delegates. Then, the selected national athletes will be competing each other for their nations’ pride.

Alex Lim, the secretary general of IeSF said, “IeSF will endeavor the best to host a successful event. Especially, it is expected that this year’s World Championship will provide more attraction points as followed by the end of World Championship, 2017 Global Esports Executive Summit and G-STAR, one of the biggest game show in Asia, is being hosted. IeSF will always be committed to making the better environment of Esports, and expanding the scope of Esports.”

9^th Esports World Championship 2017 will be held from 8^th to 12^th of November this year, in Busan Authority Port, Busan, Korea. More details about this World Championship can be found in the latest article of IeSF:

http://www.ie-sf.org/news/the-9th-esports-world-championship-is-going-to--busan-korea-for-2017/

Another school affiliates.

Fragcon hosted by HTS Tom-Naudé

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA), South Africa's largest member based gaming organisation, delights in announcing that HTS Tom Naudé has now been accepted into membership.

The school, which is situated in Polokwane, Limpopo, focuses on creating a learning environment where learners enrich themselves. Learners at HTS Tom Naudé are exposed on a daily basis to theoretical academic training, practical exposure to technology, advanced design programs and personal growth. The proof in the 'pudding' in that the school is the first school in the Limpopo to start a Mind Sports club and to offer the various disciplines, for which the MSSA is custodian, to its learners. Already the school hosted a very popular esports event - FRAGCON. With HTS Tom Naudé affiliating, MSSA now has 77 member clubs.
MSSA wishes the school a long and fruitful association, and cannot wait to see the development of a strong Limpopo Provincial esports team.