Is there a difference between a gamer and an eSports athlete?

I believe that there is indeed a difference between a gamer and an eSports athlete.

I can already hear the howls of indignation and  protest.

Let  us examine  the differences:

Gamer		eSports athlete
Purchases the latest games		Concentrates primarily on the title  he/she plays in competition.
Addicted to reviews on the latest games		Tends  only to read  up on the games  that  interest him/her
When finishes the one game, moves onto the next.		Will play the title that he/she plays competitively for a number of years
Although never having played in a formal competition, considers him/herself to be highly competitive and expert at playing the game		Is more interested in competitive play, and competes religiously in order to improve his/her standard of play as well as his/her official rankings.
Does not control his/her playing time		Has specific times for training and competitive play.
Does not try to become 'technically' correct at the game		Makes every  effort to learn the nuances of the game as well as the 'technicalities' behind the game.
Does not practice at the game		Practices for long hours in order to improve general standard of play.
Does not belong to a club		Belongs to a club  in order to play in competition and thus take  advantage of all the benefits of competitive play

Thus, as you can  see there is a widening chasm growing between the 'gamer' and the eSports athlete.

That  is  not to say that there will not be the  rare individuals that cross the divide, but the two are very different.

8th e-Sports World Championship 2016 - Jakarta

Serbia - winners of the 7th World Championships - Seoul

The International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) will hold the 8th e-Sports World Championship 2016, which is the sole international e-sports event where players compete as representing their countries, in Jakarta, Indonesia in October, 2016.

IeSF has informed IeSF members and international sports events hosting company regarding the host city bidding opportunity for the 8th e-Sports World Championship 2016. Jakarta has showed great interest to become the host city of the event. IeSF selected Jakarta as the host city of the 8th e-Sports World Championship 2016 through the Board Meeting.

Jakarta, located in JAVA Island of Indonesia, is the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia with a population over 10 million people. Moreover, e-sports has been selected as the sports event of the Extreme & Adventurous Sports in the 6th TAFISA World Sports for All Games which will be held in Jakarta in October, 2016.

The 8th e-Sports World Championship will be held in Ancol Beach City Auditorium for 3 days. The official titles will soon be announced by IeSF technical committee.

After the announcement of the official titles, IeSF 43 member national federations will commence their national qualifiers. Players who are selected through national qualifiers will be formally recognized as sports athletes representing each country at the World Championship with endorsement of their government or national sports authority.

Meanwhile, e-Sports World Championship is the sole international e-sports event that is hosted by IeSF, established in 2008, and sponsored by Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. Over 27 countries and 200 people who are recognized as national qualifiers by each government and national sports authority participated in the 7th e-Sports World Championship Seoul 2015, which was held in Seoul, Korea, in which Serbia was ranked first place.

Official Link: http://ie-sf.com/bbs/board.php…

33rd MSSA Gauteng Wargaming Championships - 26 & 27 March 2016

Elishia Retief putting her Palmyrans through their paces.

The 33rd MSSA Gauteng Wargaming Championships shall be held in Springbok Hall, University of Pretoria, on 26 & 27 March 2016.

In terms of the current regulations, any period may be played to more than one rule set if there are sufficient entries, and a player qualified to act as an umpire has volunteered to umpire such rule set.

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 have qualified to be played, and shall be, should sufficient entries be received:

FIGURE GAMING:
Period	CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE PLAYED ON BOTH DAYS
	Saturday			Sunday
	ROUND 1	ROUND 2	ROUND 3	ROUND 4	ROUND 5
Ancients – DBM 3.2	9H00-12H00	13H00 - 16h00	17h00 - 20h00	9H00-12H00	14H00 – 17H00
Pike & Shot – DBR	9H00-12H00	13H00 - 16h00	17h00 - 20h00	9H00-12H00	14H00 – 17H00
World War II – Flames of War	9H00-12H00	13H00 - 16h00	17h00 - 20h00	9H00-12H00	14H00 – 17H00

Period	ONE DAY HISTORICAL FIGURE GAMING CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE PLAYED ON SUNDAY ONLY
	Sunday
	ROUND 1	ROUND 2	ROUND 3	ROUND 4
Ancients – DBM 200AP	9H00-10H30	11H00 – 12H30	14H00 – 15H30	16H00 – 17H30

In keeping with Mind Sport South Africa's policies re development programmes, entries are free and gratis to registered players who are unable to afford to enter such championships should the member club formally request assistance. Such applications must be directed to the MSSA at: e-mail: mindsportssa@iafrica.com

Please note that if there are not at least 10 players entered for a figure gaming period, then such period shall be played to four (4) rounds and not five (5).

Entry fees are:              R60.00 for figure gamers.

Only players who are registered with fully-paid-up members may participate.

Players are reminded that the majority choice of rules as at the closing date for entries shall be used.

Entry fees must be deposited directly into Mind Sports South Africa's account, held at ABSA Bank, account number, 90 4766 7676.

All entries, and army lists (if applicable) must be e-mailed to the the head of umpiring: Ewan Retief at ewan.retief@gmail.com on or before 24 March 2016.

--

Colin Webster
General Secretary
Mind Sports South Africa
P O Box 19275
FISHER'S HILL
1408
Tel: 011 828 4994
Fax: 086 672 1911
Cell: 073 593 9451
e-mail: mindsportssa@iafrica.com
URL: http://www.mindsportsa.co.za
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mindsportssa
Twitter: @mindsportssa
Skype: colin.webster4

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is an affiliate of the International eSports Federation, Federation de Jeau du Mondiale, and the International Wargames Federation. Due to its membership of such international bodies, the MSSA is the sole authority for the games that it caters for in terms of the Sport and Recreation Act, number 110 of 1998 (as amended).

The MSSA is responsible for the good governance and promotion of Historical figure games (also known as wargames), Board games (such as Diplomacy, Checkers, Draughts, Morabaraba, Sport Stacking, etc), Card Gaming, Robotics, and eSports (whether they are played on ‘cell phones, Sony® PSP’s, personal computers or similar). 

33rd MSSA Gauteng Board Gaming Championships - Springbok Hall, University of Pretoria on 26 March 2016.

Lubabalo Kondlo - the 2015 Gauteng Checkers Champion

The 33rd MSSA Gauteng Board Gaming Championships shall be held in the Springbok Hall, University of Pretoria on 26 March 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 have qualified to be played, and shall be, should sufficient entries be received:

Board gaming
Period	CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE PLAYED
	Saturday
	ROUND 1	ROUND 2	ROUND 3	ROUND 4	ROUND 5
Backgammon	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45
Checkers	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45
Draughts (Brazilian)	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45
Draughts (International)	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45
Morabaraba	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45
SesothoMorabaraba	10H00-10H45	11H00 - 11H45	14H00 -14H45	15H00 - 15H45	16H00 - 16H45

In keeping with Mind Sport South Africa's policies re development programmes, entries are free and gratis to registered players who are unable to afford to enter such championships should the member club formally request assistance. Such applications must be directed to the MSSA at: e-mail: mindsportssa@iafrica.com

Entry fees are:              R30.00 for board gamers.

Only players who are registered with fully-paid-up members may participate.

Players are reminded that the majority choice of rules as at the closing date for entries shall be used.

Entry fees can be deposited directly into Mind Sports South Africa's account, held at ABSA Bank, account number, 90 4766 7676.

All entries must be entered onto the club's Google  Drive before or on 23 March 2016.

--

Colin Webster
General Secretary
Mind Sports South Africa
P O Box 19275
FISHER'S HILL
1408
Tel: 011 828 4994
Fax: 086 672 1911
Cell: 073 593 9451
e-mail: mindsportssa@iafrica.com
URL: http://www.mindsportsa.co.za
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mindsportssa
Twitter: @mindsportssa
Skype: colin.webster4

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is an affiliate of the International eSports Federation, Federation de Jeau du Mondiale, and the International Wargames Federation. Due to its membership of such international bodies, the MSSA is the sole authority for the games that it caters for in terms of the Sport and Recreation Act, number 110 of 1998 (as amended).

The MSSA is responsible for the good governance and promotion of Historical figure games (also known as wargames), Board games (such as Diplomacy, Checkers, Draughts, Morabaraba, Sport Stacking, etc), Card Gaming, Robotics, and eSports (whether they are played on ‘cell phones, Sony® PSP’s, personal computers or similar). 

MSSA's 33rd Gauteng Championship - 26 & 27 March 2016

The 33rd Gauteng Championship shall be played on 26 & 27 March 2016

The championship also counts as a qualifier for the MSSA's National Team Trials which shall be used to select the official national esports team.

Registrations are thus open for MSSA's MWEB/G2A 2016 Gauteng LAN Championships.

Registrations will close on the 23 March 2016. Players who wish  to compete in any of MSSA's Championships are advised to complete their annual registration forms so that they may registered as Registered Players as soon as possible. Late entries will be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

All gamers are reminded that the Gauteng championships is an open championship.In other words any registered player is entitled to enter the championship – no matter where they live, or their category of membership. If you have any queries, please contact the MSSA.

Championship Details:

Hosting Club: Tuks Mind Sports (https://www.facebook.com/groups/970831249649816/?fref=ts)

• Venue: Springbok Hall, University of Pretoria
  
• Date: 26 & 27 March 2016
• Entry Fees: R60.00 per Registered Player per Period
• Entries: Clubs must use the entry form on Google Drive to enter their teams/players.
  
• Computers: Bring your own. Please ensure that all game updates are done prior to arrival. No updates shall be done at the event.
• Schedule: The LAN Schedule for all Provincial events in 2016 is:

Saturday
Time	StarCraft II	PES 2016 (Pro Evolution Soccer)	League of Legends (LoL)	HearthStone	Ultra Street Fighter V
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 2 Starts
10H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts
11H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 4 Starts
12H00	Round 5 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 5 Starts
12H45		Round 3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	TEKKEN TTII	PES (continued)	LoL (continued)	Hearthstone (continued)
14H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 2 Starts	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 3 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00	Round 5 Starts
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close
SUNDAY:
Time	DotA 2	CounterStrike:GO	FIFA '16	MORTAL KOMBAT X
09H00	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts	Round 1 Starts
09H45	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues	Round 1 Continues
10H30	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 2 Starts
11H15	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues	Round 2 Continues
12H00	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts	Round 3 Starts
12H45	Round 3 Continues	Round 3 Continues	Round3 Continues	Round3 Continues
13H00	LUNCH
Time	DotA 2 (continued)	CounterStrike:GO  (continued)	FIFA '16	MORTAL KOMBAT X
14H00	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts	Round 4 Starts
14H45	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues	Round 4 Continues
15H30	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts	Round 5 Starts
16H15	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues	Round 5 Continues
17H00
18H00	Awards Ceremony
19H00	Doors Close

Rules and Regulations: All Rules and Regulations pertaining to eSports are available from the MSSA. Players are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the LAN League Bylaws and 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 eSBoC who will take all comments into account.

The following Medals may be awarded at the MSSA's 2016 Gauteng LAN Championship:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three players who are registered players.
• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three high school scholars, provided they have not received any Premier medals.
• UNIVERSITY:Medals shall be awarded to the first three players who are currently registered at any officially recognised University, provided the players have not received any Premier Medals.
• WOMEN: Women will be awarded medals as per the same basis as above, that is in all three categories.
  

Colours and National Team Trials:

• 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.
  
• 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. 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.

Please note that times may be changed to take into account load-shedding.

Issued by:

-- 
Colin Webster
General Secretary
Mind Sports South Africa
P O Box 19275
FISHER'S HILL
1408
Tel: 011 828 4994
Fax: 086 672 1911
Cell: 073 593 9451
e-mail: mindsportssa@iafrica.com
URL: http://www.mindsportsa.co.za
Twitter: @mindsportssa
Skype: colin.webster4

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is an affiliate of the South African Confederation of Sport and Olympic Committee.

The MSSA is responsible for the good governance and promotion of Board games (such as Backgammon, Diplomacy, Checkers, Draughts, Morabaraba, etc), eSports (whether they are played on ?cell phones, Sony® PSP?s, personal computers or similar), and Historical figure games (also known as wargames).