Local Esports trials start as the best of the best sought for SA team

Cape Town - Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) hosted the Western Cape Online Provincial Championships which gave players the opportunity to qualify for the national team trials.

From there they will be eligible for selection to the Protea Team.

Covid-19 regulations meant players were able to play online from the comfort of their own homes, while still remaining eligible for national and provincial qualification.

Any player who finished in the top three or top twenty percent at the Western Cape Online Provincial Championships were then eligible for the national team trials.

The 2022 event proved to be popular and allowed athletes to play around with perfecting their tactics and strategies leading up to the 2022 national team selection.

This year marked the third year that the Online Championships has been held, with editions to be held in Gauteng, KZN, Free State and the Eastern Cape throughout the year.

Colin Webster, president of MSSA, said: “Online events are not as controlled as our LAN events. They are far more difficult to monitor. One big advantage is that anybody around the country can participate and we encourage schools/clubs affiliated with MSSA to get their teams together to play.”

Esports have no limit on who can play and include anybody with an interest in playing online games.

“To participate in any event, the participant must simply be registered to a club that is a part of the MSSA. There are minimal charges for schools as our goal is to get kids to do things.”

Webster said Esports provide an alternate route to playing a nationally recognised sport.

“Not everyone can become a soccer, rugby or cricket player. Outdoor activities take time and resources that cost a lot of money. Yes, computer consoles can