By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, July 30: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) aims to hold a ‘family’ e-sports challenge for next year’s Kuching Festival to promote a positive outlook on e-sports and strengthen family bonding.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the next Kuching Festival would introduce a new Family Team category allowing parents and children to participate in the e-sports event together.
“Many perceive computer games or online games as detrimental to the youth, calling it a ‘one-sided argument’.
“There are positive sides of getting children interested in information technology (IT), and apart from gaining that interest in these computer games, it will eventually enhance their skills to use the Internet for positive personal development in the future,” he said when speaking at the Kuching Festival Esports Challenge 2022 held at MBKS Auditorium today.
The Esports Challenge 2022 programme, organised by MBKS and Sarawak E-Sports Association (SESA), is one of the activities held in conjunction with the Kuching Festival, which will run from July 29 until Aug 21.
Two esports events are being held, namely ‘Mobile Legend Bang Bang’ on July 30 and 31 and ‘Tekken’ on Aug 6 and 7.
At the event, there is also a talk on healthy gaming to provide exposure and opportunities for parents to understand the advantages of gaming and its benefit to youth development.
“One needs to strategise to solve the problems by thinking through and deciding the right actions to take instead of being brash and exacerbating the problem by rushing into problems head on without taking into account the consequences and possible repercussions.
“It will need patience, focus and team energy to play these games, and what better way should our youth get involved in this activity,” Wee added.
He also said apart from making new acquaintances, computer games can also be a positive tool to promote inter-cultural interactions, breaking down traditional barriers such as physical distance and cultural differences.
The event was officiated by Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Amongst those present were MBKS Deputy Mayor Hilmy Othman, MBKS city secretary Zainab Marzali, Kuching Festival 2022 organising chairman Goh Tze Hui, Kuching Festival Esports Challenge 2022’s organising chairperson Cr Kho Teck Wan, and SESA president Afiq Fadhli Narawi. — DayakDaily
