New champions at inaugural My Zone esports
Electronic sports
My Zone, in collaboration with the Namibia Electronic Sports Association (NESA), hosted its first-ever schools’ esports tournament over the weekend at the MTC Innovation Hub, located at the HTTPS building at NUST. The event was open to learners aged 12 to 18.
Over 30 gamers from different schools in and around the capital participated, competing in three game titles namely FC24, NBA2k24, and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Entrepreneurial Challenge (AGEC).
The FC24 tournament followed a Swiss format, transitioning to a single-elimination round once the top eight competitors were determined.
Divaldo Taveras, 18, from Niro Academy, entered the football tournament as a favourite, having won previous competitions. However, his winning streak was halted by Shura Ryvkine from St. George’s in a dramatic final that ended 2-2 after extra time and was decided by penalties.
“I was really nervous in the final, but I tried to stay composed. My opponent was tough, but I’m extremely happy to have won,” Ryvkine said.
Keanu Swartz, a 12-year-old gamer from Klein Professor College, surprised everyone by defeating older gamers before ultimately losing to Ryvkine in the semifinal.
In the NBA2k24 competition, Clayton Gaseb, 18, from Windhoek High School, delivered a consistent performance, winning all seven of his matches to claim the title.
Runner-up Angelo Theron, 16, also from St. George’s, gave Gaseb a tough challenge, but was satisfied with his performance. “I prepared for nearly an hour before the tournament to master my gameplay,” Theron noted.
The event was supported by partners including MTC, Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, NESA, and Smart Goods, who provided prizes for the winners.
NESA president Flip de Bruyn expressed his delight at the tournament, particularly impressed by the younger gamers’ performances. “It was good to see the younger gamers keeping their older counterparts on edge,” De Bruyn said.
Winners:
FC24: 1st place Shura Ryvkine; 2nd place Divaldo Taveras.
NBA2k24: 1st place Clayton Gaseb; 2nd place Angelo Theron.
AGEC winners (all from St George’s): 1st Joaquin; 2nd Ainesh Sahu; 3rd Tinaye.