Samuel brings the sport of gaming to the townships
Founder of the African Video Gamers Corner, Samuel Sammy Mphaga, says he wants to have a positive influence on children in townships and help steer them in the right direction.
POLOKWANE – The Mankweng resident is bringing gamers from the area together through tournaments he hosts in the hope of showing the youth that involvement in illegal activities is not a solution.
“I’m trying to show kids in the area that consuming alcohol and partying all the time is not the only way to have fun with friends, and to introduce gaming as a new sport. We are also trying to get them away from gangsterism, which is an extremely big problem in our community,” he said.
Mphaga told BONUS he believes the tournaments he hosts allows the youth to meet and share thoughts about gaming and stretch their minds, because playing under pressure teaches them to tackle any obstacles they may face in life.
“Through my research, I’ve learnt that the actual time spent playing video games, was a short, but had a significant and positive impact on people’s well-being. Playing video games can be good for your mental health,” he said.
Photo Supplied.
Sammy hosted his first tournament at Mall of the North in 2015, which was a success and his last tournament was hosted on Saturday, May 29 at Paledi Mall, where gamers came out in their numbers.
“We now have to adjust to Covid-19 regulations so that all participants are safe. We make sure to sanitise hands as well as gaming controllers after each use. We also make sure that gamers wear masks at all times,” he said.
Mphaga described his last tournament as a great experience, having hosted a Top 16 competition, and added that the gamers can’t wait for the next one.
“We also had players from Polokwane, one of which was the champion. Anyone is welcome to join and we encourage people to do so as it is a great way to meet new people.”
The winner of the day, Odin Simapungula, walked away with R1 000 cash prize and Vodacom hampers.
“When we hosted our first gaming tournament in 2015, I never thought we’d get this far, but through hard work, determination and the grace of the Lord, we made it this far,” Mphaga concluded.
