Malaysia’s Hee Zi Song is pictured during his Hearthstone group stage match at the SEA Games in Manila December 5, 2019. – Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — National esports manager to the Hanoi SEA Games, Kelvin Pang Ching Kuen has asked the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to name the four players selected through the recent the National Qualifying Championship for the Fifa Online 4 (FO4) electronic game at the biennial Games in May.
He said the four players proposed through the Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF) had the potential to contribute medals to the country, besides having an impressive record in previous tournaments.
“We have selected the four players, three regulars and one reserve, but it is understood that the FO4 game comes under FAM’s quota, so the decision on player selection to represent Malaysia for the FO4 is up to them.
“Muhammad Faiz Hariry Mohamad Fodzai, Gan Mun Kiat, Wan Muhammad Hakimm Wan Narizan and Muhammad Asyraf Kamal are the names that should be considered to represent the country in the event,” he told Bernama.
According to Kelvin, all the names listed have excellent records, including emerging champions in the Malaysian Esports Selection 2022 for FO4. In fact, they have undergone intensive training for more than a year to prepare for the Hanoi SEA Games to be held from May 12-23.
He said although MESF are the official governing body for esports in the country, FAM have been given the authority to select SEA Games athletes for FO4, apart from also being responsible for the selection of players for football and futsal.
It is understood that a shortlist of the athletes’ names for the events will be sent to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) tomorrow.
The Hanoi SEA Games will also see Malaysia competing in the PUBG Mobile event, Free Fire, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Arena of Valor and the League of Legends.
In the 2019 edition in the Philippines, the Malaysian contingent took home a gold medal in the Hearthstone event through an academician in electrical engineering Yew Meng Kean, and a bronze medal through the Bosskur team for the MLBB event. — Bernama