Youth from Kenya and China have gathered in Nairobi for the first Kenya Elephants Cup, the event using esports to promote cultural exchange and at the same time creating new opportunities for Kenya’s expanding gaming industry.
The name of my team is Kenyan Avengers, even though it’s only a temporary one, yes, that’s the name we’re taking for this tournament. However, you can look for us in future tournaments as well.
Take it literally; I’m a parent from Kenya. We don’t permit our children to spend a lot of time playing online games since we don’t see any value in them. Perhaps you could look at it from that point of view and tell me what the importance of such activities is. Is it comparable to playing football? Or maybe you could just show us by giving us a mental image of it.
eSports, I already know people who are turning this eSports into a career, but eSports itself
If you want to pursue a career in eSport you could have people who like to do so.
You can have people taking on coaching roles and also those in content creation roles. In fact
we are really missing a lot of content creators which we need for visibility even at the global stage because
These are the guys that hugely promote the game publishers and help get them just on the ground
The Sunday September 20th Honor of Kings tournament gathered players from the two countries and was organised by the Kenya Chinese Youth Association and the Chinese Association, together with the Chinese and Kenyan governments, supported by Elephants. The Kylin Esports organisation was in charge of the Kenyan competition.
At the event, Collins Oloo, director of Kylin Esports, said that the tournament could help to strengthen Kenya’s esports ecosystem and have the potential to identify talent capable of competing on the international stage.
Oloo said Kenya has not had enough representation in major global esports competitions, making grassroots tournaments important in developing competitive players
The name of my team is Kenyan Avengers, even though it’s only a temporary one, yes, that’s the name we’re taking for this tournament. However, you can look for us in future tournaments as well.
BetPawa spinners: Leading Africa’s mobile gaming explosion
Take it literally; I’m a parent from Kenya and we don’t allow our children to play too many online games since we don’t see any value in them. Perhaps you could look at it from that point of view and tell me what the importance of such activities is. Is it comparable to playing football? Or maybe you could just show us by giving us a mental image of it.
eSports, I already know people who are turning this eSports into a career, but eSports itself
If you want to pursue a career in eSport you could have people who like to do so.
You can have people taking on coaching roles and also those in content creation roles. In fact
we are really missing a lot of content creators which we need for visibility even at the global stage because
These are the guys that hugely promote the game publishers and help get them just on the ground
Kenya-China Youth Turn to Esports to Build Skills, Cultural Ties and New Career Paths
Youth from Kenya and China met in Nairobi for the first Kenya Elephants Cup, combining esports with the aim of promoting cultural exchange and at the same time highlighting the increasing opportunities in Kenya’s gaming industry.
The Sunday, September 20, Honour of Kings tournament gathered players from Kenya and China; it was organised by the Kenya Chinese Youth Association and the Chinese Association in cooperation with the Chinese and Kenyan governments, with the assistance of Elephants. The Kylin Esports group was in charge of the Kenyan competition.
For certain participants, though, the tournament was more than just a gaming competition; it provided an opportunity to show how structured esports can be used to develop skills, build communities and possibly lead to careers that go beyond simply playing games.
Collins Oloo, who is the director of Kylin Esports, stated that Kenya should have more grassroots competitions so as to discover and develop players who are capable of representing the country at international tournaments.
“As Kenya has not been well represented in major global esports competitions,” Oloo said, adding that local tournaments could contribute to the development of a stronger competitive ecosystem and offer a route for up-and-coming talent.
A member of the participant’s team, which had been using the name Kenyan Avengers only as a temporary tournament identity, stated that the team plans to take part in further competitions.
The tournament also showed the wider range of career opportunities becoming available in the field of esports. As Oloo pointed out, those who are interested in the sector can go into areas such as administration, coaching, event management and content creation, among others.
He specifically mentioned the lack of esports content creators who could assist Kenyan players and tournaments in becoming known both at home and abroad, as well as help game publishers expand their audiences.
For those parents who have always seen online gaming as no more than a form of entertainment, the rise of organised esports brings with it a new question: can gaming offer the same kind of developmental benefits as traditional sports like football?
Even though esports and physical sports are not the same, organised competitive gaming can include teamwork, communication, strategy, discipline, problem-solving and competition. Just as in the case of football, it is also capable of producing structured teams, coaches, tournaments and communities. The main difference is that esports does not offer the same level of physical exercise and so cannot merely take the place of physical sports.
The industry in question is just as extensive as that made up of professional participants. Alongside a tournament there are organisers, coaches, commentators, broadcasters, content creators, marketers, administrators, event managers and technical staff.
The Kenya Elephants Cup and similar tournaments could thus provide a way for Kenya’s young gaming community to get involved in an industry which goes beyond the screen, while at the same time giving young people the chance to interact with players from other countries and compete on an international level.
