It’s not often I feel patriotic about the slab of land I happen to inhabit.  When I was younger I wanted to go and live in Alaska so I could go and live with White Fang from the Jack London novel.  Occasionally I’ll find myself screaming at the European judges trying to criticise our acts when Eurovision swings around (apart from 2006 and 2005 because - let’s face it - we were crap), but that’s about it. 

However, even I felt a teeny tiny bit of pride when I learnt that Shaun William Clark was the first UK gamer EVER to have won gold at the World Cyber Games.  He won $12,000, a whole bunch of goodies, and is now arguably the best Command and Conquer 3 player in the world. 

It’s extraordinary when you consider that Shaun was a virtual unknown on the tournament circuit until a few months ago, before he got picked up by Team Dignitas.  He’s not your usual stereotypical gaming nerd either - he’s currently at college studying ICT and Media Design, enjoys playing football, snooker, and likes to hang out with his mates.  The BBC’s recent news article about him was the most popular news article for BBC Technology on Tuesday 8th October.  Gives a bit of a “stuff you” to the baying media who constantly try to portray us all as axe-wielding freaks, doesn’t it?

It’s also worth mentioning that David Tracy, also from Team Dignitas, won the silver medal in Tony Hawk’s Project 8, and Infused Gaming (composed of Luke Shakespeare, Jaden Dennis, Callum McManus and Joshua Nino De Guzman) took the bronze in Gears of War.  Well done, lads!

Of course, a BBC news article and a flurry of activity in the local press about eSports doesn’t quite level up to the months and months of hysteria surrounding, say, the World Cup.  And y’know, it probably never will.  But it does show that - slowly - eSports is beginning to be taken more seriously in the UK.  We may still be years behind our American and Korean counterparts, but hopefully, with time, we’ll get there.  And thanks to people Shaun, Team Dignitas and Infused Gaming, I’m confident of it.