Toti high schoolers qualify for KZN eSports team
Amanzimtoti High School learners came away loud and proud after a strong showing at the KZN eSports Trials.
KICKS, punches and goals behind the screen were the order of the day as learners from Amanzimtoti High School (AHS) took part in the KZN eSports Trials at DUT on February 14.
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Fighting game enthusiasts competed for a spot in KZN’s Tekken team, and of nearly a dozen participants, five qualified for the team. Digital soccer stars-in-the-making competed in Fifa matches at the trials, turning it into an all-Amanzimtoti final. Shivaan Singh claimed first place while Lethizwe Ngcwane finished second.
AHS’ Yasteel Ramcheron hosts Tekken sessions while Zamani Mthembu coaches the learners in Fifa. They provide their own home consoles for the learners to practise on.
Ramcheron got involved with eSports at AHS two years ago. He was approached to host a Fifa tournament as a trial run to ascertain whether the school could adopt eSports as an extracurricular activity. Last year, they added Tekken to the fold and continue hosting practise sessions in the school.
“I think it’s a great idea to have kids compete in these sports as an alternative just as much as playing the actual sport themselves. These games do take a lot of skill and execution to perform at the highest levels. I myself follow Tekken at the competitive level internationally. So it does take a lot of time and effort to compete at the highest level in these games as it is a test of decision-making on snap judgements just like in any sport,” explained Ramcheron.
He explained that much like any other sport, eSports presents learners with the opportunity to represent their school, community, province and even their country. He added that this in turn can help grow the games and their respective communities, as well as provide a means of representation to learners that would otherwise just be playing the video games at home in their downtime.
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