Region’s first e-sports academy launched in Jordan

AMMAN — In cooperation with Jordan E-Games (JEG) and the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC), Zain Jordan on Monday launched the first e-sports academy in the Middle East at King Hussein Business Park, with the goal of training professional and amateur e-sports players and qualifying them to compete in national and international championships.

ZE Sports Academy was established to keep up with the 30 per cent annual increase in demand for e-sports, as over 600 million people currently follow e-sports, according to Zain Jordan Corporate Communications, Sustainability and CER Director Tareq Bitar.

During the event, JOC Secretary General Nasser Majali noted that e-sports has gained local and international traction among a number of sports associations and highlighted the positive effect of the up-and-coming industry on the country’s economy.

Jordanian champions and teams have sparked the interest of national and international companies in investing in players and sponsoring various events and championships, he said.

According to international studies, e-gaming is not restricted to a specific age group, as 65 per cent of adults play electronic games. It is also not limited by gender, as 54 per cent of players are male and 46 per cent are female, E-sports Community Manager at JEG Mohammed Kanakri said.

Statistics have shown that e-sports players tend to perform more physical activities than other people and give more attention to health, diet and sufficient sleep, he added.

Equipped with modern technologies, the academy is set up to host championships and other e-sports events, provide a venue for e-sports casting and streaming and sponsor talents, according to Kanakri.

Encouraging people to join the e-sports industry, he noted that as early as 2011, revenues from e-sports exceeded those of the film industry.