Interview with esports veterans at SEA Games 2019: dreaming of esports’ Olympics debut

The SEA Games 2019, Esports division, has already commenced! Our sister site at Gamer Santai had the opportunity to sit in in an interview regarding the SEA Games 2019 Esports. Those involved were Razer Global’s Gaming Director, David Tse, the Philippines’ chapter of Game Developers Association Chairman, Alvin Juban, the Singaporean Esports Association Secretary-General Kelvin Tan, Esports Association Thailand Acting Chairman, Samart Assarasakorm, Team Indonesia Esports Assistant Manager Erlangga Putra, and Esports Manager for Team Malaysia, Firdaus Hashim. Let’s get right into it!

Commenting on the situation and future expansion of esports, David Tse is of the opinion that Southeast Asia is a good “free-learning” platform. With the success of esports at the SEA Games 2019, the Olympics is actively studying the ways and methods of training of esports athletes, bringing us up to current esports developments. He adds that esports can find its place within university courses, and Razer itself is ready to promote esports in general education.

“The Olympics is actively working to understand the activities and methods of training for esports athletes. Esports at the SEA Games has become a launching pad for the world, as part of current global esports developments. What you’re seeing is the first step of esports, and the National Esports Federation, and Razer will actively help to expand it. Esports can be a division in the professional field, for many ways to manage esports. Razer will also assist governments to promote esports in the education sector to build its foundation.” – David Tse

For Samart Assarasakorm, he explains how esports isn’t just video games, but is also a “device” – think drones or robots. Thailand is also chipping in to work together with other Southeast Asian countries to host various games.

“Actually, esports has faced a lot of obstacles. This cannot be denied. As a member of the National Esports Federation participating in the SEA Games, I have to accept this fact and continue moving forward. Certainly, we will be working with other countries to host our own championships. I wish to see an esports version for the Suzuki Cup.” – Samart Assarasakorm

Alvin Juban makes a joke about how typhoons can’t stop the crowd to catch some esports. The President of the Philippines Game Developers Association has been in the video game field for 10 years now, and is impressed at how far it has developed in the past decade.

“Typhoons occur quite frequently in the Philippines. Despite that, I’m still happy with whatever that’s happened today. We actually only got the news about the SEA Games in November 2018, and we still managed to organize the event in such a short span of time. Esports is a good way to show parents what the teens are doing. Tell them your goals, and it will change everything.” – Alvin Juban

Kelvin Tan, the Singapore Esports Association Secretary-General, also adds that esports is a project that the government can participate in.

“To promote esports, we must do everything to make it a project that governments can participate in; to get their attention, their funding for expansion, and to support the growth of youth players. I’m very pleased to work with our partners and all Southeast Asian countries in how much we’ve progressed.” – Kelvin Tan

Erlangga Putra points out the large potential still for esports development, merely stating that should a student wish to join any esports curriculum in college, they won’t be stopping them playing. Firdaus Hashim, more commonly known as MasterRamen, adds to this, especially when video game addiction is brought up:

“Malaysia can benefit from esports. We’ve set up healthy video game culture to ensure the youth do not get addicted. Everyone can play video games, but esports is closer to a job/career.” – MasterRamen

For us here, we’d definitely be cheering on the Malaysian squad on stage. May esports as a whole continue to expand and be a positive force in the future. If you want to know more about the SEA Games 2019, check out Facebook, Twitch, Razer and YouTube. We’d be hoping for the Malaysian contingent to come home with many victories, but regardless, good luck to all athletes!