British Esports Association to select players to represent the UK in the newly announced Global Esports Games

The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and support grassroots esports, will help form the UK teams participating in this year’s Global Esports Games (GEG).
GEG will take place in Singapore in December 2021, which will see esports teams from more than 80 countries and territories compete for pride and glory. It’s a medal event that will not include prize money.

The British Esports Association has enlisted the support of a prominent team manager to help pick the teams representing the UK, under the British Esports banner. This national team manager will be announced once the full titles are confirmed by GEF.

Andy Payne OBE, British Esports chair, will also chair the sub committee for the UK qualifiers and team selection.

British Esports will be hosting national qualifiers per title to select the gamers who will represent our country and wear British Esports branded kit. Players must have a UK passport and be aged over 16. There may also be some regional/European qualifiers, depending on the titles.

Tencent and game publishers are behind the event, which has appointed the Singapore Esports Association (SGEA) as the lead organisation to host and operate the GEG.

GEG will be held annually each December, featuring a variety of esports tournaments in different to-be-announced games, including single-player and multiplayer titles. It’s the flagship event of the Global Esports Federation, of which the British Esports Association is a member.

More than 400 international esports athletes will qualify and compete in Singapore, representing their respective countries and territories in the world championship.

GEFcon – a global convention of thought leaders, and GEFestival – a dynamic celebration of esports, youth culture and much more, promises to add to the programme.

An organising committee is also being established to oversee the execution of the GEG.

Future GEG events will take place in Istanbul, Turkey (December 2022) and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (December 2023).

Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said: “The first edition of the Global Esports Games in Singapore is set to be a brilliant event showcasing the talents of gamers from around the world, including from the UK.

"I'd like to wish the British gamers competing the very best of luck as the esports sector goes from strength to strength."

Andy Payne OBE, chair of the team selection committee, and British Esports chair, commented:

“The British Esports Association is playing a leading role in the Global Esports Games - we are really proud to be organising the national qualifiers and our national team selection.

“I will be chairing the committee that oversees the delivery of our team selection (players from Great Britain and Northern Ireland) across all of the games, and we will be announcing a high-profile esports professional as the national team manager very soon.”

Ms Angela Ruggiero, four-time Olympian and co-chair of the Coordination Commission at the Global Esports Federation, said:

“We look forward to the first edition of the Global Esports Games in Singapore. The global event offers a platform for the world’s esports community to meet and compete, showcasing the vast potential and diverse opportunities esports can offer the world. Esports has the power to engage younger audiences in a world where esports and sports are rapidly converging.”