United City set for regional eSports football tournament

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.

PFF establishes inaugural PFF eTrophy competition

The Philippine Football Federation is set to launch its initial foray into eSports, with the upcoming PFF eTrophy.

Set to take place on April 15-16, 2021, the federation has invited eight eSports players nationwide to compete in this competition, which sets the stage for the establishment of the national team for upcoming international eSports competitions.

The country has seen an increased rise in interest in eSports, and with the growth of the eFootball movement leading to various online competitions within the various FIFA Member Associations and stakeholders. As a result, the PFF saw this as an opportunity to set up its first online tournament.

The PFF eTrophy sees eight players drawn into two four-man groups, with each group participating in a single round robin. The top two individuals from each group will face off in a two-leg crossover semifinals. The winners will then face off for the chance to be its inaugural champion, but both have earned representation into the FIFAe Nations Series 2021, which is set to commence later this month.

By having this tournament, the federation believes that it would help spur the growth of the sport and an alternative avenue for new fans to take up the sport.

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta, Jr. shares, "We thank FIFA for including eFootball in its platform which will allow us not only to host eSports competitions, but also to send our players to international competitions."

He adds, "As we host our first ever eFootball competition, we hope that it will encourage football fans and stakeholders to enjoy football not just on the physical pitch, but also on the digital pitch."

General Secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes says, "We see eFootball as one of the new and innovative ways to promote football to the general public, particularly to the youth. We invite all aspiring eFootball players to join and compete in the PFF eTrophy."