By Ma. Emilia Nicole D. Bertulfo and Trisha Marie L. Abuyan 

Do you know a sport that encompasses a global audience of over 300 million fans? But one that does not involve a ball, stadium, or grass pitches? Welcome to the world of esports. 

As technology progresses in the 21st century, the emergence of the esports (short for Electronic Sports) gave birth to the modern-day arena of competitive video games and an avenue for professional gaming thus connecting technologically-savvy gamers from all sorts of platforms and consoles around the world.

To bring more opportunities for esports and to ensure the continuous development of the industry, Globe Telecom, a major telecommunications provider and a local campus esports organization, esports AcadArena, have partnered to launch their first-ever esports merit scholarship program for college students in the Philippines. With the help of this scholarship, it will provide 25% to 100% tuition coverage to all eligible college students from a “3-star accredited” student organization partner of AcadArena under their Alliance Program. 

Globe Telecom and esports AcadArena teamed up to offer scholarships for exceptional gamers and student leaders in campus esports under two categories: Competitive Merit scholarship and Leadership Merit scholarship. The former is given to active rosters and players who have portrayed unparalleled performance while the latter is intended for support staff that have greatly contributed to the development of campus esports.

While the Family Good Game Grant will provide P25,000 to P50,000 to families of gamers participating in specific AcadArena tournaments. This grant is open to eligible and accredited AcadArena partners from any student organization under the Alliance Program.

The said scholarship will be made available to universities and student-led organizations currently accredited by AcadArena’s Alliance Program, including the green and gold’s very own Far Eastern University-Institute of Technology (FEU-IT) iTamaraws esports (FIT iTamaraws).

Emman Malilay, FIT iTamaraws President shared, “This opens a lot for those minds that don’t believe that esports is a good place and has a future, you just need the right direction for you to get into the top. We will make sure that the students would still maintain their good grades and good competitiveness and leadership skills to show to everyone that this is not a bad place.”

As part of the “Alliance,” the FIT iTamaraws continually fosters a special and inclusive campus esports culture with its administration advocating for the promotion of esports with the student body. With such atmosphere and environment, the scholarship initiated by the said partnership has all the more contributed to FIT iTamaraws’ continued growth throughout the years. 

This opportunity is a game-changer for the FIT iTamaraws as they look back on their humble beginnings. Established in 2017, they started as a sub-organization, struggling to be recognized and prioritized but this did not hinder their determination. Thus, it pushed them to work harder and now they are one of the well-known esports teams around Metro Manila Universities. 

"We didn't give up on it and finally made our own although there are a lot of works to do behind the scene. We will make sure that this esports organization would survive all the struggles and overcome it for the sake of our community," President Malilay expressed, reminiscing their organization's struggles. 

This Morayta-based esports squad strives to give opportunities to aspiring esports athletes and to those who want to pursue shoutcasting and coaching as well by providing an environment where one can learn different things and lessen their mistakes. He assured that the FIT iTamaraws will guide dedicated and passionate players in achieving their dreams. 

The positive recognition of esports today overwhelmed Malilay as he was part of the first who opened the doors in esports. Boosting its impact, is the scholarship program offered by AcadArena and Globe to esports athletes; the Alliance Program. This paved the way for athletes  to widen their horizons. It is a remarkable opportunity since it is the first esports scholarship offered in the country that hyped the spirit of the community. 

Malilay dreams for the organization “to live longer and earn more awards” before he takes his leave, reassuring this promise as an everlasting legacy and “gift for his people.”

With the advent of mainstream competitive esports, it is high time to put the industry at a higher pedestal and better spotlight. AcadArena and Globe Telecom’s collaboration reflects this best. They are embarking on a pioneering effort to offer scholarships at a time where the field of esports needs much appreciation, value, and support. 

Such progressive steps coupled with sustained growth in the local scene and international success ensures taking esports to greater heights and developing world-class esports talents in the country.

Truly, a bright future for the esports industry is a sight to behold as a whole new wide of opportunities and recognition awaits.