Advertisement

SCOGA, Singapore Cycling Federation collaborate on esports

 Cycling and esports? Yes, it's a thing (Photo: Getty Images)
Cycling and esports? Yes, it's a thing (Photo: Getty Images)

The Singapore Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA) and the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) announced on Wednesday (4 August) a collaboration to promote the development of cycling esports in Singapore.

The two organisations will be setting up a Cycling Esports Academy that aims to "will develop various training programmes tailored for schools and youths, and build a developmental pathway that allows promising youth cyclists to be exposed to international cycling esports competition".

SCOGA and SCF will also work to build a calendar of cycling esports activities for various audiences, starting with a demonstration cycling esports race to be featured on SCOGA’s Campus Legends.

The race will feature invited student cyclists competing from home on the racing and training platform Zwift, and will take place on Saturday (7 August), as part of the Campus Legends Grand Finals program.

Campus Legends is SCOGA's annual inter-school esports competition, which has competitors from 15 education institutes in Singapore.

Dr Hing Siong Chen, President of the SCF, called the partnership with SCOGA "truly a significant milestone", adding that the SCF intended "to co-create and it includes the establishment of an esports academy" where the SCF could train, test and organise regular competitions for specially identified and selected athletes.

"These athletes will include those from primary and secondary schools as well as Institutions of Higher Learning," Hing said, adding that the SCF was "actively pushing for the development of Cycling Esports and for it to be incorporated in our already established athlete development pathway".

SCOGA is excited to work with the Singapore Cycling Federation, SCOGA President Dennis Ooi said in a statement. "While we are cognizant of the differences between sports and esports, we also appreciate the opportunity presented by virtual sports to benefit local youths."

"As cycling esports grows in prominence internationally, we look forward to working with the Singapore Cycling Federation to create more pathways and opportunities for youths in Singapore to support their dreams and aspirations.”

Cycling esports has been steadily rising in recent years, with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body for sports cycling, having organised its own esports championship last year.

The first ever UCI Cycling Esports World Championships took place in the virtual world of Watopia, held on the Zwift platform.

For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page and Twitter.