GEORGE TOWN, The Penang e-sports team are banking on their experience of competing in PUBG Mobile competitions across Malaysia to win at least one gold at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) 2024 in Sarawak next month.
Penang Electronic Sports Association president Mohamad Khir Md Noor said their confidence is boosted by the squad’s recent second-place finish at the national-level ‘Felda Nation E-sports Championship – Pubg Mobile’ organised by the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
‘Apart from gaining experience, participating in such competitions also allows them to secure additional funds that can be used for their trip to Sarawak.
‘I hope our squad will bring home a gold medal as a motivation to raise this sport to greater heights in Penang,’ he said when met by Bernama here.
On the team’s preparations, Mohamad Khir said the association provides equipment for the athletes to train at home instead of at the association’s hub.
He said the contingent will also ensure the mental and emotional well-being
of the state athletes, as the demands of e-sports are quite different from other sports.
‘We have meetings with them to ensure they enjoy and are not stressed to the point that it affects their performance, especially since other states are also strong competitors. We are also studying athletes from other states,’ he said.
He Penang will field 26 athletes in five events – Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Playerunknown’s Battleground Mobile (PUBG Mobile), E-Football 2024 Console, Tekken 8 and Racing Simulator (Time Attack, Single and Team of Two Driver) – offering seven gold medals.
He said the association started selecting SUKMA athletes at the end of last year, involving many screening processes and meetings with the Penang State Sports Council.
One of the criteria for selection was that the athletes must have finished in the top four of every competition they participated in.
At this biennial event, the e-sports competition, offering 21 medals across seven categories, will take place at the Swinburne Universi
ty of Technology Sarawak Campus from Aug 20 to 24.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency