With an ongoing pandemic that has sent most businesses and passions virtual, there is one player that hasn’t quite been able to do the same – sports.
The postponement of the 2020 Olympics and many other sporting events around the world has led Dynamique Konzepts to do something that could save the sporting spirit. They’ve come up with the first-ever virtual football event, eSingaCup 2020!
As the inaugural event of its kind to include professional footballers and football experts, this event aimed to kick off (pun very much intended!) more major football tournaments that can be enjoyed responsibly and safely, despite the pandemic.
The event was streamed on Facebook Live, from 31 October to 4 November 2020. There was an exciting event lineup planned as well, including esports competitions, interviews with professionals and industry experts, design and skills contests, and even special music segments from local artists!
In this virtual version of field football, eSingaCup 2020 kickstarted with EA Sports’ premier football video game title, FIFA 21, with full 32-team tournaments! These tournaments were categorised in two ways, each holding prestigious titles:
- The 8 Nations Tournament, featuring 352 international eSports athletes from 8 different countries that fought for the title of eSingaCup 2020 Champion; and
- The 1-v-1 tournament, which allowed those who tuned it to stand a chance to be crowned the Grand Champion of eSingaCup 2020.
The magical thing about online connectivity is that you can see anyone from any corner of the world in real-time, and that’s what viewers got to experience as well. There was an interview with celebrities from the football world, and one of them included ex-English Premier League legend and 108-cap ex-Australian international team captain, Tim Cahill.
But that was not it. There was more!
Regional football stars also made an appearance in the eSingaCup 2020, such as Sunil Chhetri from India, Stefano Lilipaly from Indonesia, and even local players Hassan Sunny and Ikhsan Fandi!
Aspiring footballers with questions on their minds about pursuing the sport as a career were also given a chance to consult international footballing experts through webinars! Fun mini-games with international referees and coaches were also organised.
The eSingaCup 2020 also included entertainment segments, to feed the love for the sport and pride for Singapore football among Singaporeans. There was even a virtual watch-along party of the legendary film, celebrating the peak of Singapore football: the Kallang Roar!
There was also an exhilarating music segment on the opening night, with local music sensations, DJ TINC and Supersonic!
“eSingaCup 2020 was created to celebrate the inclusiveness of sport, in particular, football, and how it can be a unifying presence despite all odds. Although we are unable to organise our usual physical tournament in Singapore, we remain committed to contributing to both the local and international football community during these difficult times. An online event such as this also allows us to engage with a broader audience and bring people together through their love of the sport, creating something unique for people to enjoy from the comfort of their homes wherever in the world they may live.”
~ Selvakumar Panneerselvam, Tournament Director of eSingaCup 2020.
No one could have put it more brilliantly.
The magic of sport can’t be lost. Despite the abnormal circumstances upon us, we have to try to retain that magic, and eSingaCup 2020 has paved the way.
We may not see each other on the pitch, but that doesn’t stop us online!
Visuals courtesy of Dynamique Konzepts.
