Connect with us

Latest News

Football for Friendship holds expert discussion on sports development during pandemic

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

Experts of the international online discussion “Motivation and training in the context of the pandemic: the impact of Internet technologies on sports” reached the mutual conclusion that the pandemic will boost the development of e-sports and broaden the way sports are perceived in the world. It’s expected that the existing trend will strengthen: over the past 3-4 years, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.

 

The discussion was initiated by the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship, which has, for the first time, brought the entire season online in 2020. Meanwhile, the annual World Championship for Young Participants from more than 100 countries is held in the new football simulator Football for Friendship World. In the future, the app will become a gaming platform where anyone can train, join mixed international teams, and play their favorite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of home.

The guest experts — football players and e-sports players — shared their views on how the pandemic is affecting the training process, and whether e-sports will be able to fully replace traditional sports in the future.  Alexey Smertin, adviser to the President of the Russian Football Union and Ambassador of the Football for Friendship programme, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, grandmaster, three-times winner of the World Chess Olympiads, and European Chess Champion, spoke about the impact of the pandemic on professional sports. Igor Bugaenko, head of the Special Projects Department of the Russian eSports Federation (RESF), spoke about the development of Russian e-sports. The discussion was attended by representatives of FC Schalke 04: head of the e-sports division Tim Reichert, League of Legends coach Dylan Falco, and professional FIFA player Tim Schwartmann (“Tim Latka”). The discussion was moderated by Euronews TV host Andy Robini.

Igor Bugaenko expressed his conviction that the pandemic can also have a positive impact on sports: “Despite the cancellation of many offline sporting events, we are doing our best to maintain the quality and spirit of the competitions that are currently held online. The pandemic has affected how people spend their free time. I think the main achievement of this period has been to broaden the way sports are perceived, enabling people to re-evaluate the role of e-sports in the world”. The expert also noted that Russia was one of the first countries to officially recognize e-sports. According to Bugaenko, in the last 3-4 years alone, the audience of e-sports events has grown 5-6 times.

However, according to Alexey Smertin, e-sports are hard to compare to traditional sports, with their “physical overcoming of oneself, pain and hard-to-achieve results”. On the other hand, if we take a professional approach, in both traditional and e-sports it’s important to focus on achieving results; so, in this sense, there’s no difference between them.

Tim Schwartmann (Tim Latka) has a similar view: “If young people want to be successful — be it in e-sports or traditional football — they have to work hard, train a lot for the game, and never rest on their laurels”.

Today, many football clubs are developing e-sports as a separate area. “In recent years, the popularity of e-sports has become evident. By investing time and effort into developing e-sports, we hope to establish a dialogue with the younger generation of football fans”, explains Tim Reichert, head of FC Schalke 04’s e-sports division. Reichert expects that self-isolation will accelerate the merging process of traditional and digital sports several-fold. In his opinion, e-sports and traditional sports already have many things in common: league structures, competitions, psychological demands for players, and regular training.

Alexandra Kosteniuk noted that the past months have become a landmark in the history of sport: “The pandemic has opened up a real Pandora’s box for chess players: if earlier, part of our competitions were already being held online, now it’s the most convenient format for both the audience and participants”. As she explains, the pandemic has stimulated an increased interest in online competitions over the past few months, “even in the case of chess, which is not the most popular sport among viewers, not to mention the world of e-sports in general”.

 

About the programme:

The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship is implemented by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous seven seasons, the programme has united over 6 000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 5 000 000 supporters.

Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants of the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.

UEFA, FIFA, football federations and the world’s leading football clubs, international charity foundations, famous athletes, politicians, and artists support Football for Friendship. The project has received multiple national and international awards in the field of social responsibility, sports, and communications, including the world record for the most nationalities in a football training session in history.

In 2020, Football for Friendship will be held in the online format. A special digital platform will unite over 10 000 players of all ages. It will become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone will be able to train, join into the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Latest News

Midnite appoints former LiveScore Group CPO Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product

Published

on

midnite-appoints-former-livescore-group-cpo-sam-talbot-as-vice-president-of-product

Midnite, the hyper-growth UK sportsbook and casino operator, has appointed Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product, strengthening the company’s leadership team as it accelerates its product-led strategy and pursuit of Tier 1 status in global markets.

Talbot brings more than 15 years of experience in product leadership roles across digital and consumer-facing platforms, with a proven track record of scaling product teams, defining strategic roadmaps, and building innovative user-centric solutions. Most recently Sam served as Chief Product Officer at LiveScore Group, where he led product strategy and development across high-traffic sports and entertainment products, driving engagement and growth.

He joins at a pivotal time for Midnite following its recent $35 million Series C funding round led by The Raine Group, which took total funding beyond $75 million and is being used to scale operations, accelerate development of best-in-class products and support international expansion. A key focus of the investment is expanding Midnite’s product and engineering capabilities as it pursues its ambition of becoming a tier-1 operator.

Midnite develops its entire platform in-house, with all engineering teams based in the UK. This approach enables rapid innovation and a deeply customer-centric product strategy, which has underpinned the company’s rapid growth and challenger brand positioning.

Nick Wright, Co-Founder of Midnite, said: “Midnite is product obsessed, so bringing Sam on board as VP of Product felt like a completely natural fit. He shares our DNA when it comes to building for players first, and he brings the leadership and experience we need as we scale.

“Our vision is to become a tier-1, market-leading, product-led operator, and that means continuing to raise the bar for what the betting and gaming experience should feel like. Sam will play a central role in shaping that future. With the backing we’ve secured and the team we’re building, there’s a huge amount to come from Midnite this year.”

Sam Talbot added: “Midnite’s commitment to in-house technology and genuine product innovation really stood out to me. This is a team that cares deeply about the player experience and moves quickly to deliver it. I’m excited to be joining at such an important stage of growth and to help build products that set new standards in the industry.”

Founded in 2015 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, Midnite has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding its product mix and team while establishing itself as one of the UK’s most exciting challenger brands. With significant new investment and an expanding leadership team, the company is focused on closing the gap with the market’s largest operators through product excellence and innovation.

The post Midnite appoints former LiveScore Group CPO Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Carl Gatt Baldacchino Head of Account Management SlotMatrix

Royal Paws, Royal Payoffs: SlotMatrix’s Catsino Royale

Published

on

royal-paws,-royal-payoffs:-slotmatrix’s-catsino-royale

SlotMatrix, the leading casino content aggregator globally, has enhanced its exclusive content collection with the debut of Catsino Royale, a playful slot that merges feline attitude with traditional casino excitement.

Located within a lively cat-themed casino, the game provides swift gameplay that allows players to accumulate increasing rewards and activate various bonus chances with each spin. Featuring stunning visuals, captivating characters, and intricate mechanics, the game combines enjoyable presentation with significant winning possibilities.

Central to the activity is the Coinstack function. Each coin symbol that appears increases the value of the stack, enlarging it and enhancing rewards with every spin. Players activating either the Catsino Wheel or the Stack N Spin bonus will reap the rewards of the total accumulated amount.

Landing four Bonus symbols triggers the Catsino Wheel, filled with rewards that include multipliers of Coinstack and can reach the Grand Jackpot valued at up to 500x. Landing five bonus symbols activates the Stack N Spin feature, which increases the Coinstack and provides several opportunities to re-trigger the wheel for extra rewards.

The Wild Deal feature creates Golden Frames each time Wilds appear. Wilds introduced into current frames enhance their multipliers, and when the Cat Dealer shows up, all frames transform into Wilds.

Only accessible via SlotMatrix, Catsino Royale is upgraded with EveryMatrix’s unique gamification features, such as free spins and leaderboards, and can be effortlessly incorporated with EngageSuite, the comprehensive player loyalty platform.

Carl Gatt Baldacchino, Head of Account Management, SlotMatrix, said: “Catsino Royale blends playful visuals with mechanics that continuously build value. It will be a strong performer for operators looking to add something fun, distinctive, and rewarding to their lobbies.”

The post Royal Paws, Royal Payoffs: SlotMatrix’s Catsino Royale appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Booming Games

Booming Games Strengthens Leadership with Appointment of New CFO

Published

on

booming-games-strengthens-leadership-with-appointment-of-new-cfo

Booming Games has elevated Luke Sammut to the newly established position of Chief Financial Officer effective immediately.

Booming Games, a top supplier of high-quality gaming content, has today enhanced its C-suite by promoting Luke Sammut to the newly established position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective immediately. This comes after a series of recent high-level promotions at Booming Games, including the announcement of a new Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff last month.

Luke Sammut has dedicated more than eight years to Booming Games in multiple senior finance positions, most recently as the Director of Finance and Accounting. Having a solid foundation in accountancy and a strong enthusiasm for the iGaming sector, he contributes a vast amount of experience and industry expertise to the team. Located in Malta, Luke will be accountable for steering the company’s international financial strategy and managing reporting across various jurisdictions.

The establishment of the CFO position signifies a new phase in the company’s development and highlights a strong dedication to attracting and developing exceptional talent. With the company aiming to achieve ambitious growth goals and enhance its global reach this year, the timing of the appointment is quite promising. Focusing on customers in game development, Booming Games is consistently aiming to innovate and broaden its portfolio, with intentions to substantially boost the frequency of game releases this year.

Booming Games has a solid history of investing in its workforce, with the number of employees recently exceeding 200. In the future, the expanding C-suite will guarantee that the company keeps evolving and is positioned to handle the upcoming phase of its growth.

Max Niehusen, Founder of Booming Games, said: “We are delighted to announce Luke’s promotion, in what is a landmark moment for Booming Games as we appoint our first Chief Financial Officer. Over the past eight years, he has made an immense contribution to the business, playing an important role in our success during a key growth phase.

“I look forward to continuing working closely with him as we look to break new ground this year. As CFO, Luke’s experience will be critical as we expand our operations, with the aim of being regulated in every major market within the next five years.”

Luke Sammut, Chief Financial Officer at Booming Games, said: “With ambitious growth targets, Booming Games’ rapid expansion shows no sign of slowing. I am proud to be taking up the position of CFO, helping to shape the next phase of our financial strategy, at such a pivotal moment for the business. With clear direction from a strong leadership team, Booming Games is well placed to build on its strong financial foundations and seize the opportunity to further cement its reputation for market-leading innovation.”

The post Booming Games Strengthens Leadership with Appointment of New CFO appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania