SA to be represented at female CS:GO tournament

Back in February 2022, the International Esports Federation (IESF) announced that the 14th World Esports Championships to be held in Bali, Indonesia would include the competition’s first-ever female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament.

The announcement was met positively by the gaming community, especially from Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) which to date has presented the only all-female team at an IESF World Esports Championship back in 2018.

cs:go — MSSA’s 2018 Protea CS:GO team is the only all-female team to date to have participated in an IESF World Esports Championships in the CS:GO game title.

In a statement on their official blog, MSSA revealed that the announcement was met with great approval by their Board Members and Member Clubs. “Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has always advocated gender equity in esports.”

“Thus for several years, South Africa was the only IESF member who put its money-where-its-mouth-is by entering female players into successive IESF World Esports Championships.”

“For several years the only female participation at IESF World Esports Championships were South Africans.” The statement further read

The statement further revealed the key figure behind SA‘s push for gender equity in esports, that figure being MSSA President, Colin Webster.

“The chief architect of promoting gender equity on both MSSA’s field of play, as well as in the administration, is the previous and current MSSA President, Colin Webster.”

“Even while serving on the Board, and as President, of IESF, Colin Webster never stopped advocating such gender equity – even in the face of, sometimes, quite vitriolic opposition.”

Following the IESF announcement, MSSA has stated that female CS:GO teams participating in MSSA events shall qualify for National Team Trials and selection for the 14th World Esports Championships.

Starting in 2009, the IESF World Esports Championship pits the world’s best gamers against each other to determine which nation will claim the cup in the only global esports tournament featuring national teams.

The 14th edition of the global championship is set to take place from 1st – 12th December 2022 in Bali, Indonesia.