FAIRWATER Presbyterian Church hosted its first eSports tournament with 40 young gamers in attendance.
The event forms part of the church’s drive to engage with youngsters in the area. It already hosts a youth club every Monday evening, with up to 25 children regularly attending.
Hosted by TATL Gaming from Gorseinon, the games on offer included Fifa, Mario Kart, Halo, Super Smash Bros., Pong and Tetris. Attendees also had the chance to try out a 3D virtual-reality headset.
Church minister, the Rev Lee Dutfield, organised the afternoon’s activities with a group of volunteers.
“We wanted to put on a great event for young people in our community and for them to be able to play these great games together, rather than alone in their rooms,” said Mr Dutfield.
“All the helpers certainly enjoyed it as well, even if I did end up getting thrashed by an eight-year-old on Fifa!”
In a 16-strong field, 11-year-old Jake David won the Fifa tournament while Alex Davies, 10, overcame 19 competitors to become the Mario Kart champion.
The eSports market has grown to be worth almost $1 billion, with 36 million viewers watching the 2015 League of Legends World Championship.
The growth of the market saw Premiership football club Manchester City sign its first eSports player in July.
While online gaming has brought fame and fortune to some, it brought Fairwater’s champions a GAME gift voucher.
The tournament coincides with the launch of the Fairwater Community Group Facebook page which will provide residents with a forum to publicise events and discuss local issues.
- For details of other church events sign up for its newsletter at www.ctvchurches.org.uk/contact-us/
