Going pro: Senegal’s young gamers betting on esport


People follow a video game fighting match projected on the big screen in a cinema in Dakar on Nov 12, 2022. The world of video games in Senegal now has its emblematic figures; young people in their early twenties, fed on PlayStations, who participate in competitions throughout the sub-region and contribute to the development and popularisation of this industry. — AFP

DAKAR: Avid fans of the best-selling Fifa video game watched on a big screen as leading Senegalese gamers battled it out as virtual iterations of footballing royalty like Cristiano Ronaldo and Olivier Giroud.

Some 400 esports enthusiasts attended Dakar’s recent Esport Experience tournament, inspired by local heroes like Mouhamed Thiam, 19, alias “Dex77” – three-time continental champion – and by Senegal’s real-life football team, the continent’s reigning champions.

Save 30% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 9.73/month

Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.63/month

Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Klarna strikes $6.5 billion loan deal with Elliott funds to boost US push
Klarna Q3 revenue beats estimates in first earnings report after IPO
AI accounting startup Maxima raises $41 million in Kleiner Perkins-backed round
Roblox to require age checks to use platform's chat features
Cloudflare outage cuts access to X, ChatGPT and other web platforms for thousands
Nvidia set for $320 billion price swing after earnings, options indicate
Exclusive-Brazil eyes taxing crypto for cross-border payments, sources say
EU probes Amazon, Microsoft's cloud services for potential curbs
Nintendo launches eShop and Switch Online in Malaysia; subscriptions priced from RM13
Disney+ to hike monthly prices by up to RM10 for Malaysians from Dec 18

Others Also Read