MIND SPORT: Should competitive gaming be considered as an internationally recognised mind sport in South Africa?

THERE was a lot of talk and debate towards the end of last year about 2011 being “the year of eSports”. The central debate in a South African context was whether or not competitive gaming should be recognised and treated as an international mind sport in our country.

Electronic sport, or mind sport, falls into the category of non-physical competition. Competitive gaming is the fastest growing mind sport, and there currently exist several leagues and tournaments word-wide whereby gamers compete at amateur, semi-professional and professional levels.

With a steady increase in the number of competitive gamers across genders and cultures, the mind sport debate revolves around the idea of classifying network gaming as an official national sport and treating and covering it in the same manner as existing sports such as rugby and cricket.

It’s a misnomer that ‘real’ sport is physical and sweaty and demands an impressive display of physical prowess. With most sports being based on warlike principles, it’s often forgotten that quick wit and strategy play an integral part in most of the sports we love. And let’s face it – not everyone is cut out for the gym or has the impressive build of Os du Randt.

Consider chess, poker, pub quizzes, crossword contests and poetry slam as competitive mind sports. These all require quick wit, intellectual talent and creativity without the need to physically tackle opponents to the floor. And if you think that gaming is mindless finger-clicking, competitive gaming demands huge amounts of quick thinking, strategy, and above all, teamwork.

The World Cyber Games

The World Cyber Games, which began in 2000, initially consisted of 174 competitors from 17 different countries with a total cash prize of $20 000. In 2006, 700 competitors from 70 different countries fought for the cash prize of $462 000 (Wikipedia. Image: erodov.com).

The good news is that African countries are gradually getting on board and gearing up to compete internationally. Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is currently driving inter-school gaming leagues and organised the first official gaming test match between South Africa and Namibia last month.

According to an interview with the president of MSSA, Colin Webster, published on ITWeb, “One of the key highlights this year is the fact that MSSA is in talks with local government to organise a national e-sports LAN event that will have the same stature as a national sporting event. Gamers from all over the world will be able to test their skills against South African gamers.”

Unfortunately, for South African gamers to compete on a global scale and participate in the major leagues held in Europe, Korea and the United States, politics need to come into play. In order to compete internationally, gaming (as well as any sport) need to meet a certain set of criteria. There are good reasons for these, but when we consider that hi-tech sports such as gaming are ever-evolving with technology, perhaps we need to consider having such criteria updated as well.

The central issue is that for any sport to qualify and be able to compete at an international level, it needs to be accessible to everyone. Every government school has a sports closet full of soccer balls and cricket bats and there are real efforts to offer the same to rural schools around the country.

However, now that we are undoubtedly living in the digital age, it is also becoming compulsory for all schools to have computers and internet access. That’s all it takes to set the stage for competitive gaming tournaments. Learners could even opt to participate in network gaming during their lunch breaks. I’d guarantee that you wouldn’t have to twist any arms to get learners interested.

Mind Sport Growth and Revenue

There is also the opportunity to make a decent living from competitive gaming. The World Cyber Games held in South Korea every year sees a huge flow of revenue from sponsorship and advertising – not to mention the marketing value that top, individual gamers gain by proving their skills. As existing tournaments have shown, large technology and PC corporations are more than willing to play their part and offer sponsorship and support.

To put the growth and interest of competitive gaming into perspective, the World Cyber Games, which began in 2000, initially consisted of 174 competitors from 17 different countries with a total cash prize of $20 000. In 2006, 700 competitors from 70 different countries fought for the cash prize of $462 000 (Wikipedia).

I sincerely hope that competitive gaming gets the attention and coverage it deserves within the realm of mind sport. As an ardent gamer, I believe that having games pushed and played to their limits by professionals will improve the quality of existing and future games as well as associated technologies.

Furthermore, it’s a chance for people to engage with the latest technology, a chance to bring together people with similar interests, to team-build, to profit off all the advertising possibilities, and to show the rest of the world that South Africa has what it takes to compete globally in the realm of quick wit and real time strategy.

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Mind sport links:
2011: The Year of eSports
Africa gears up for e-sports

VIDEO: Audio-slideshow of what Pietermaritzburg has to offer

AS a build up to 2010, the Witness multimedia team (i.e. the Webmaster and I) sort to produce a series of videos showcasing what Pietermaritzburg has to offer foreign visitors. They also aimed to highlight the Harry Gwala stadium, which was to be a training ground for the Fifa 2010 World Cup.

Needless to say I found it very difficult to motivate myself to produce the following as it was a voluntary, unpaid project. But, I'm glad to say that it's finally done and I hope you enjoy it.

Why South Africa is the ideal host for the 2010 World Cup

I’ll be honest – I don’t know a great deal about soccer. I couldn’t name two players in the Bafana Bafana team. I can’t even tell when someone is off-sides during a game. However, what I do know is that South Africa is going to be more than ready to host one of the biggest events in our country’s history – the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Our stadiums are looking good, people are practicing their smiles and our public transport systems are being jacked-up; and despite what some pessimists might say, I firmly believe that all of these will be ready in time.

I also believe that we have some of the most dedicated soccer supporters in the world. I often watch soccer matches with a mate who’s an absolute football fanatic. The excitement is contagious, and in the space of 90 minutes we have made friendly acquaintances with twenty-odd South African strangers in a pub. My verdict of such occasions is that sport is one of the most uniting forces in our country – none more so than soccer.

Today we have more reason than ever to be proudly South African and should be showing it. We have amazing sportsmen and women, unique wildlife, thriving tourist attractions, beautiful landscapes, tantalizing food and drink, films that have topped the box-office charts, art, culture, theatre, music, blissful beaches and South African sunsets – all embedded in a rich and meaningful history.

I’ve produced the following video to illustrate the truth behind these words, with the aim of instilling patriotic sentiments and warm & fuzzy feelings in the hearts and minds of all South Africans near and far. My hope is that this video will give new vigor to what it means to be proudly South African, will make foreigners to our shores in 2010 feel welcome, and will keep all South Africans positive about their country. I present the host country of the 2010 Soccer World Cup:

It’s time to shine South Africa, and shine we will.

Shine South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup!

Related Posts:

• Dear World Cup visitors
• "Stand As One" Soccer World Cup song
• South Africa rolls out Ubuntu in abundance

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OUTDOOR SPORT: The aQuella Mudman Challenge

IF you’re the outdoorsy-sportsy-fun-loving type and live in the greater Pietermaritzburg area or somewhere close by, there’s a great event taking place this weekend at the very aesthetically pleasing Albert Falls dam.

It’s called the aQuella Mudman, which is a triathlon type event for the whole family. It consists of a cycle, a swim and a run, and is a bundle of fun in the sun for everyone. Ages range from the newly born to the nearly deseased and is a great way to relax or spend some quality time with friends and/or family.

If you're keen to compete you can sign up on the day (or on one of the three days) and know that all proceeds go toward a worthy, educational cause. Check out their website for more info and don’t forget to pack the 24+ sun-block.

Below is a video of last year’s aQuella Mudman challenge to get an idea of what it’s all about.

PS: I apologise profusely for the appalling quality of this video. It was one of the very first videos I ever made and therefore not very good. I like to think that’s its gotten better since then... Anyway it’s really just to give you a visual idea of what this ‘Mudman’ thing is all about. Okay? Okay. Good. Enjoy.

The aQuella Mudman Challenge

THE NUMBER 13: A few 13-related superstitions

MOST cultures have superstitions centered on the number 13 which can be traced right back to those ancient Greeks. They did, however, agree that fear of the number 13 is an irrational fear, calling it triskaidekaphobia [triss-ka-deck-ah-phobia]. Nonetheless the idea that the number 13 was somehow bad quickly spread. The Greeks' traditional rivals, the Turks, have virtually removed 13 from their vocabulary.

Here are a few 13-related superstitions:

• Several tall office buildings do not have a 13th floor. Next time you’re in a tall building check whether or not your life is in danger by seeing if the elevator has a button for a 13th floor.
• Beware of Christening your children with 13 letter names. Some believe that people with such cursed names live notoriously bad or evil lives.
  Examples: Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson.
• Sportsmen are notoriously superstitious and many teams avoid using the number 13 in their squads or teams. I’ll admit it’s never fun being the 13th man in a sports team.
• One superstition is that if 13 people sit down to dinner together all of them will die within the year. One form of this legend dates back to the Norse god of mischief - Loki. The saga tells of Loki gate-crashing a party - bringing the number of guests to 13. To cut a long saga short, Balder the good was killed, and for this reason several Norwegians still believe that 13 at a dinner party is bad luck.
• There are 13 loaves of bread in a baker’s dozen. The extra loaf (presumably the runt of the litter) was baked as a special bribe for the devil not to spoil the batch of loaves.
• The number 13 plagued biblical times too. The book of Luke (chapter 22) tells us that there were 13 present at the Last Supper. There is also evidence that this Last Supper was held on a Friday, and is of course when Judas Iscariot threw a bread-loaf at Jesus.
• Some people (possibly Christian fanatics) are so afraid of Friday the 13th that they refuse to get out of bed or go to work on the cursed day. A study in the British Medical Journal in 1993 looked into the relationship between driving and road accidents in the UK on two separate Fridays: the 6th and the 13th.

The study was carried out over a period of a few years, and eventually concluded that:

"Friday the 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."

Friday the 13th Dates:

In 1998 Friday the 13^th appeared three times on the calendar, in February, March and November. This occurred again in 2009 during the months of February, March and November. (There are usually two days of doom in a year). While occasionally we survive a year that has only one Friday the 13^th, it is impossible for a year to pass without any death days ever occurring.

So lock yourselves away, call in sick, avoid any tall buildings and dodgy people with 13 letter names, and cancel any dinner party plans in case the number 13 gets YOU! You have been warned.

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