eSports in Southeast Asia is about to get a boost with the establishment of a regional eFootball tournament, under the auspices of the Champions eFootball (CeF).
Set to take place from September 9 to October 7 of this year, it will involve eight of the best sides in the region to be played on KONAMI's eFootball PES 2021 Season Update on the Playstation 4 platform.
A combined $9,000 prize pool awaits, with matches to be shown through the league's social medal platforms.
Representing the Philippines in this competition is United City Football Club, which recently launched its eSports entity. The others are Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (Malaysia), Persib Bandung (Indonesia), Tampines Rovers FC (Singapore), Nagaworld FC (Cambodia), Ho Chi Minh City FC (Vietnam), Buriram United FC, and Chonburi FC (Thailand).
UCFC President Eric Gottschalk shares, "Esports is a fast-growing and popular sport in the Philippines and we have been thinking of how to engage ourselves with esports. This is the perfect event for us to start an esports program especially with the big names in this region. We appreciate Champions eFootball for providing this opportunity to take part in the official esports competition and hope this platform can grow and provide us with access to new fan audiences worldwide and to allows us to play against the big names in the football world since I can see the possibility."
The CeF is divided into two divisions: ELITE and STAR. The former will have professional eSports players in competitive action, whilst the latter will involve star footballers across the region, including Philippine international Justin Baas, and will provide entertainment and light-hearted content.
In launching this competition, Champions eFootball CEO Yong-Chul Yun says, "It is no surprise that esports and competitive gaming have become a cornerstone of entertainment and we are proud to bring this platform to the sporting world. In essence, our vision for Champions eFootball is to provide a platform for some of the best football clubs in the world to compete at a high level while attracting younger audiences and esports enthusiasts from across the region."
Endorsed by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, their presence ensures a quality experience for all participants. This is most apparent in their role as Technical Delegate for this competition. AESF General Secretary Sebastian Lau shares, "AESF is excited to work with Champions eFootball as an innovative platform that fosters synergy between two giants of the sporting world; football and esports. We are excited to see what the future holds for football clubs and fans in the region as they venture to compete for glory in esports."
Aside from this regional tourney, CeF is also looking at establishing relationships with the various local leagues with the idea of having them act as qualifiers. It also potentially could see CeF winners facing off against European counterparts in a future tournament.
Further updates about Champions eFootball can be seen on www.championsefootball.com via their Facebook and YouTube.
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