by The Global Esports Organization (GEF) has announced that it will be holding its inaugural festival and esports championship in South America.
The South American esports scene is not properly developed, at least not as well as its North American counterparts. There have been several attempts to improve gaming in the area, and GEF has introduced another initiative.
To that effect, GEF has revealed that it will run the South American Esports Championships with the 2022 South American Games. The tournament will run for two days, the 2nd and 3rd of October 2022, in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Meanwhile, the GEF is also taking advantage of the Youth Games in Rosario, Argentina, to organize a GEFestival. It will be a celebration of esports culture and is scheduled to hold sometime between April 28 and May 8.
Chris Chan, the president of GEF is thrilled to introduce esports to more countries in the world. In a statement that followed the announcement of the new tournament, he said:
“We are making exciting headway as we continue to bring our global events portfolio to different continents of the world. The South American Esports Championships supports the Global Esports Federation’s mission and cements our commitment to fostering great collaborations across our #worldconnected community to elevate esports on the sport and entertainment world stage.”
With ODESUR facilitating the tournament following its partnership with PanAm Esports Development Federation, an outfit of GEF, their president Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira also spoke on the upcoming tournament.
“The South American Esports Championships is the first esports event of a global scale to be held in South America. Alongside the 2022 South American Games, these events amplify Paraguay’s aspiration to [host] more major international events.”
“The partnership with the Global Esports Federation is taking shape, putting together the necessary capabilities and infrastructure to tap into the limitless potential of esports in the region.”
Mario Cilenti, the president of the PanAm Esports Development Federation, a body put together to lead the education and development of esports in South America, said:
“Esports is gaining a strong footing in South America. The inaugural South American Esports Championships will boost the growth of esports in the region through world-class activation led by the Global Esports Federation.
The GEFestival at the upcoming South American Youth Games, meanwhile, offers our esports community here the first glimpse into the world of the GEF and its many global events that promote inclusion for all in Esports.”
Brazil has enjoyed some exposure in the esports industry. However, other South American countries have not been as lucky, which is why this tournament will be a significant boost.
With the Festival and a promise of other esports championships in the region, there is an expected rise in interest in participation in countries like Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
While these countries have players in professional esports, they are mostly in Europe or competing for teams in North America. Attracting big teams to the region has also been a struggle as the esports community is still in its budding stage.
