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Schools sign up for e-sports

Alex Kayle
By Alex Kayle, Senior portals journalist
Johannesburg, 19 May 2010

Mind Sports SA (MSSA) has finalised a sponsorship agreement with Asus to drive SA's first e-sport interschool league. However, no disadvantaged schools have been signed up with the programme yet due to funding challenges.

Mind Sports SA president, Colin Webster, told ITWeb the interschool league, which starts in July, aims to create new talent in online gaming and improve the awareness of e-sports as an officially recognised sport.

For the schools that don't have computer labs, Webster explains MSSA is in talks with the City of Johannesburg to make computer centres available to students from disadvantaged schools. None are currently signed up.

“MSSA is in discussions with the Johannesburg Council. Together, we have identified a number of computer centres near townships and schools around Soweto which will be used as computer hubs for training and participating in the interschool league,” explains Webster.

He says the identified community centres are within walking distance of schools and residential areas. However, Webster indicates MSSA has yet to officially sign with the Johannesburg City Council for the specific disadvantaged schools that will be taken into the programme. He calls the collaboration “the first step” towards getting more schools involved. June is the deadline for schools to register for the interschool league.

Through the Asus sponsorship, MSSA, an affiliate of the South African Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee, will be able to expand its roll-out of provincial LAN championships and drive the first ever official e-sports interschool league in SA.

Around 23 private and public schools from around the country have expressed interest in participating in the leagues. Each school will use its own computer labs to facilitate training.

Level playing field

Mind Sports SA has selected Warcraft 3, Defence of the Ancients, and Counter Strike 1.6 as some of the first games to be played competitively between schools. Webster says MSSA will use the initiative as a platform to train the players to eventually compete in national teams.

“We chose those games because they are not very computer intensive and will create a level playing field as some kids from disadvantaged schools won't have access to high performance systems.”

Asked whether private school gamers will have an advantage over disadvantaged schools due to access to better computers, Webster says MSSA has forced the interschool league to compete against one another using school facilities and not their own PCs.

“Private schools have a slight advantage over poorer schools from the point of view that their students are more experienced at the games; having access to computers at home,” notes Webster. “However, it's one of the reasons why we are doing it this way. None of the kids will use their own equipment during tournaments. Some players might find it frustrating because it's not what they are used to.”

According to Webster, e-sports is expected to benefit schools by driving computer literacy, improving hand-eye coordination, and giving them IT skills to become marketable for future employment. It will also allow schools to expand the activities they offer and compete in mind sports.

“What we see eventually coming out of this project, is to work with government to upgrade the computers through the national sports distribution trust fund. Hopefully, in the long-term, we will see better provisioning of computer equipment in schools which would mean all schools have equal chances. It is something we are currently addressing.”

Some schools have expressed concern over classifying computer gaming as a sport, but Webster says this is changing. “Admittedly, the interschool league wouldn't have worked five years ago. We've been planning this for a couple of years, but we feel it's now ready to be rolled out.

“There are some schools which do not yet perceive it as a sport and would prefer to see the students out on the field. However, nothing is stopping the school from encouraging their gamers to participate in an outdoor sport as well.”

Webster explains that some schools, such as Pretoria Boys High School, are already awarding colours to their top players. “The interschool league will allow players from different schools and backgrounds to interact with one another face-to-face in a controlled and structured environment. The players can also take pride in what they're doing because they will be representing their school.”

Love of the game

Northcliff High School is one of the first schools to drive an e-sports interschool league. Northcliff High deputy principal, Andrew Wilkins, says: “Northcliff High School supports MSSA and we recognised a demand from the students to drive the activity forward.”

Wilkins adds: “We want to see how mind sport grows and feel it will add value to what the school offers. At this stage, we are going to hold off colours and awards until it becomes a bigger and more competitive activity.

“We will keep a balanced approach and encourage our mind sport players to participate in physical sports as well. Going forward, I think it will be interesting to see whether corporate SA can come aboard and assist schools that don't have the infrastructure and to help broaden the sport.”

According to Gabriel Malan, Asus SA marketing manager, the partnership enables Asus to play a bigger role in the local gaming community. “We want to approach the young gaming communities and Asus views the partnership as a way to invest in the provincial and national leagues as well as driving exposure for Asus.”

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