Ever dreamt of playing for Kaizer Chiefs, but you’ve got knock-knees, two left feet, thick glasses and rather than running around for kilometres, your idea of athleticism is sitting on the couch and playing video games all day?
Well, whether you’ve got sporting prowess or not, you could yet stand the chance of officially representing the gold-and-black colours of the Amakhosi one day – using your gaming skills.
Sports gaming has become a major multi-billion dollar global industry, and Johannesburg will go gaming crazy this weekend with not one but two major eSports gaming events taking place in the city.
Chiefs pride themselves on being at the cutting edge of innovation, and were one of the first African clubs to feature on FIFA’s wildly popular Playstation digital video games, along with the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester United.
And the Naturena club will again lead the digital charge with their participation at this year’s RUSH eSports event taking place from Friday 21 July to Sunday 23 July at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Rush is a rAge eSports initiative which aims to bring a number of different eSports tournaments and activities together under one roof.
This multi-tournament, multi-platform, multi-game event will give visitors the opportunity to experience the exhilarating world of competitive video gaming first-hand.
Kaizer Chiefs will have their own eSports stage at Rush, where great prizes and overseas trips are up for grabs for the winners, as well as the chance to meet Kaizer Chiefs players, most of whom are gaming enthusiasts on and off the field.
“Kaizer Chiefs is a football club, but our aim has always been to grow the business beyond just the football field by introducing and building the brand within new markets,” says Jessica Motaung, Kaizer Chiefs Marketing Director.
“The growth of eSports has been phenomenal over the last few years, and we always believe in being at the forefront of what is happening in the world.
“We plan to be in touch and interact with young and old who are ardent gamers and those who’d like to join this revolution that’s fast taking the world by storm,” Motaung added.
The club’s inaugural competitive gaming experience will give gamers a chance to battle it out at the Kaizer Chiefs stage, where they will try and knock each other out of the FIFA17 challenge in a bid to be the ultimate winner.
And taking their football rivalry on the field into the digital sphere, Orlando Pirates players Oupa Manyisa and Tendai Ndoro will participate in the VS Gaming eFootball tournament, also happening this weekend in Johannesburg at Gallagher Estate on Saturday and Sunday.
The much-hyped event will have a prize pool of R1.5 million for gamers and appearances from the likes of Cassper Nyovest, Ricky Rick, DJ Fresh and Euphonik.
Visitors to Rush will be able to watch their favourite games being played by SA’s top players and clans on big screens, with live shoutcasting (commentary).
Kaizer Chiefs’ Digital Manager, Kemiso Motaung, says the club’s association with Rush gives both brands a chance to make a commercial impact and also to serve their growing digital audiences.
“Our core business remains football. However, Kaizer Chiefs is fast evolving into a lifestyle brand that engages with its customers across many different platforms,” said Motaung.
Entry for players competing in the tournament is free for the whole weekend, and entry for spectators and visitors is R50 for a day pass (valid for one day only) and R100 for a weekend pass (valid for all three days). Tickets are available at Computicket or at the door.
If you want to enter the Kaizer Chiefs FIFA17 tournament at RUSH, visit www.acgl.co.za/kaizerchiefs to sign up.