A successful and highly entertaining University Sports South Africa (USSA) ESport 2023 tournament was proudly hosted by Sol Plaatje University at the South Campus Multipurpose Hall on 1-2 September. The two-day event brought together nine participating South African universities from across the country as the teams gathered to spar off against some of the very best gamers representing their universities.
Stellenbosch University won the top overall prize and bagged the USSA ESport 2023 tournament title through a display of exceptional skills and determination throughout the competition. Their victory in various categories, including FIFA men’s and women’s sections, Clash Royale, and Rocket League, showcased their versatility and prowess in the world of esports.
At the official opening of the tournament, Mr Thabo Moilwa, an SPU alumnus and former SRC president, extended his gratitude to the participating universities. He acknowledged the significant efforts made by all eight visiting universities, which included travelling long distances to contribute to the event’s success. He recently returned from the FISU Summer World University Games as Head of Delegation where he led 192 members competing across 12 sports codes. TeamSA returned home with 20 medals.
Mr Moilwa, who serves as a USSA National Executive Committee member, expressed his appreciation for the dedication of every team member from the nine competing institutions, highlighting their collective commitment to the tournament’s success.
The participating universities in the USSA ESport 2023 tournament were the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), Durban University of Technology (DUT), North West University (NWU), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), University of the Western Cape (UWC), and the host institution, Sol Plaatje University (SPU).
The tournament had an impressive 62 players converging on SPU’s South Campus, showcasing their gaming skills, resilience, and teamwork. These esports enthusiasts competed in three exciting games: FIFA (in both men’s and women’s sections), Clash Royale, and Rocket League. As the matches commenced, the atmosphere was charged with excitement, with each university team taking up their consoles and demonstrating their prowess. This energy and excitement carried right through until the end with each team supporting each other and even some opposing teams supporting their fellow gamers from other universities in some tightly contested matchups.
SPU extends a warm congratulations to Stellenbosch University for their outstanding achievement and for being crowned the tournament winners, making it a memorable and rewarding experience for all involved.
