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Peso climbs to fresh peak vs dollar

THE PESO climbed further to hit a fresh nine-month high versus the dollar on Thursday amid continued optimism on the trade negotiations between the United States and China.
The local unit closed Thursday’s session at P51.70 versus the greenback, 21 centavos stronger than the P51.91-per-dollar finish on Wednesday.
The peso’s close was a new high for the local unit in more than nine months or since it closed at P51.675 on May 4, 2018.
The peso traded stronger the whole day, opening the session at P51.82 per dollar. It hit an intraday trough of P51.85 versus the greenback.
Dollars traded surged to $1.45 billion from the $1.147 billion that switched hands the previous day.
A foreign exchange trader said the peso traded stronger yesterday as it broke the support level of P51.80 in the morning session.
“Overnight, the dollar traded weak still due to optimism in the US-China trade talks. There’s a strong view on the emerging markets,”the trader said in a phone interview.
The US Trade Representative’s office said on Wednesday that it will formally suspend the scheduled tariff increase on Chinese goods until “further notice” after US President Donald J. Trump decided to delay the March 1 deadline.
The trader added that the peace negotiations between the United States and North Korea did not affect the movement of the peso.
Meanwhile, another trader attributed the strengthening of the local unit to profit-taking ahead of data on US fourth-quarter gross domestic product growth.
“The report is expected to be weak following the huge losses in global markets as well as imminent threat of a US government shutdown in the latter part of 2018,” the other trader said in an e-mail.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P51.55 and P52.10 versus the dollar, while the other gave a narrower P51.50-P51.80 range. — KANV

Stocks decline on MSCI rebalancing, trade talks

SHARES SUFFERED a bloodshed on Thursday on the back of the MSCI rebalancing, alongside inflation concerns at home and sluggish developments in trade war negotiations overseas.
The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 2.32% or 183.63 points to close at 7,705.49 on the last day of February. The all-shares index likewise tumbled 1.64% or 79.61 points to 4,769.75.
Papa Securities Corp. Sales Associate Gabriel Jose F. Perez said the PSEi’s decline was due to the MSCI rebalancing.
“ICT (International Container Terminal Services, Inc.) had the highest upweight, hence the highest value turnover, while heavyweights SMPH (SM Prime Holdings, Inc.), ALI (Ayala Land, Inc.), BDO (BDO Unibank, Inc.), SM (SM Investments Corp.), AC (Ayala Corp.), and JGS (JG Summit Holdings, Inc.) had downweights, but not as large as ICT’s shift in weight,” Mr. Perez said in an e-mail.
The MSCI measures the performance of large and mid-cap sectors in the local market, tracking about 85% of the free float-adjusted market cap of the index.
Diversified Securities, Inc. Equities Trader Aniceto K. Pangan, meanwhile, blamed profit taking for the main index’s decline yesterday.
“Market continued its profit taking as most regional markets were downed due to the following factors: locally, fuel prices continue to go up with jeepney operators asking for the increase in minimum fare to P10 thus causing inflation,” Mr. Pangan said in a text message.
Mr. Pangan also noted that the negative sentiment was caused by the slow trade negotiations between the United States and China.
Reports cited strains showing between US President Donald J. Trump’s relationship with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, which many fear would lead to a weak and inadequate deal with China.
With this, most Asian markets ended in negative territory. Wall Street indices also ended mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.28% or 72.82 points to 25,985.16, and the S&P 500 index slipping 0.05% or 1.52 points to 2,792.38. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite index eked out a gain of 0.07% or 5.21 points to 7,554.51.
Back home, all sectoral indices took a dive on Thursday, led by financials which went down 3.03% or 53.47 points to 1,708.16.
Holding firms slumped 2.43% or 192.42 points to 7,725.12; mining and oil shed 2.24% or 194.89 points to 8,491.76; industrials went down 2.04% or 236.13 points to 11,341.40; services dropped 1.78% or 27.88 points to 1,534.99; and property slipped 0.91% or 36.68 points to 3,981.72.
Value turnover climbed to P17.58 billion as 2.85 billion shares changed hands, higher than the previous session’s P7.43 billion.
Foreign investors booked a net foreign buying figure of P3.72 billion yesterday versus net sales of P250.66 million on Wednesday. Mr. Perez, however, noted that Thursday would have recorded a net outflow of P1.2 billion if not for PAL Holdings, Inc.’s P4.9-billion block transaction. — Arra B. Francia

PBA: Alaska Aces out to extend winning run

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
ON a roll before the Philippine Basketball Association took a two-week break for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers window, the Alaska Aces look to pick up where they left off when they return to action today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Currently sporting a 2-1 record, good for solo third in the standings of the ongoing Philippine Cup, after winning back-to-back games, the Aces now channel their focus on winning three in a row in their match against the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters (6-1) in the main game set for 7 p.m.
The latest of the victories of Alaska came at the expense of the Blackwater Elite, 103-101, on Feb. 13.
Against the Elite, the Aces had it tough needing to stretch itself in the end to come out on top.
It was a balanced attack for Alaska, with at least six players scoring nine points or more, led by 18 points each from Jeron Teng and Carl Bryan Cruz.
Guard Chris Banchero also had an impressive double-double for the Aces of 11 points and 16 assists. The victory was the second straight for Alaska after opening its campaign with a loss.
Following their latest victory, Aces coach Alex Compton said he is proud of how his team has been playing considering they are still not in full force with several key players still out with injuries.
“I thought the guys did a tremendous job, considering what’s going on [with all our injuries,” said Mr. Compton, who prior to the break still missed the services of Vic Manuel, Jayvee Casio, Simon Enciso and Kevin Racal.
The team is hoping to get said players back in harness for the remainder of the tournament.
PHOENIX
Out to stop Alaska is Phoenix, which got back on the winning track on Wednesday after absorbing its first loss of the tournament previously.
The Fuel Masters survived a tough challenge from Northport Batang Pier last time around to win, 98-96.
Matthew Wright led Phoenix to the win with 22 points with Justin Chua, Calvin Abueva, Jason Perkins and RJ Jazul also ending up in double digits.
The Fuel Masters also played tough defense, especially in the end, to help their cause, something that was not lost to coach Louie Alas.
“Our character defensively has improved. Four of our six won games came from our strong defense,” he said.
Mr. Alas also underscored that the two-week break of the PBA to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign helped them.
“The break helped us. We were able to rest our banged-up players like Calvin Abueva and Matthew Wright. We also had a lot of activities to improve our chemistry,” he said.
Opening festivities today is the match between Columbian Dyip (3-4) and Blackwater (1-6) at 4:30 p.m.
PBA ALL-STARS
Meanwhile, the league had announced the names of players that will participate in the annual PBA All-Star Game on March 10 in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
Starting for the North Team are Mr. Abueva, Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra, Paul Lee of Magnolia and Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel.
The South All-Stars are June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel, Greg Slaughter and Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra, Mark Barroca of Magnolia and James Yap of Rain or Shine.
Making up the reserves, who were selected by the league coaches, are Jayson Castro and Troy Rosario of TNT, Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot of San Miguel, Stanley Pringle of Northport, Marc Pingris of Magnolia, Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine and Chris Banchero of Alaska for the North, and Terrence Romeo and Chris Ross of San Miguel, Roger Pogoy of TNT, Baser Amer of Meralco, PJ Simon and Jio Jalalon of Magnolia, JP Erram of NLEX and Joe Devance of Barangay Ginebra for the South.

UST Tigresses seek to keep form versus FEU Tamaraws

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses seek to stay galloping in UAAP Season 81 when they go up against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in league action on Saturday, March 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Opened their University Athletic Association of the Philippines campaign with a 2-record in their first three matches, the Tigresses try to fortify their spot in the top half of the standings with a victory over the stumbling Lady Tamaraws (1-2) in their 2 p.m. match-up.
Playing in the main game of women’s play at 4 p.m. are the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers (3-0) against the University of the Philippines Lady Fighting Maroons (2-1).
Leading UST’s strong start early is the “Big Three” of senior Sisi Rondina, sophomore Milena Alessandrini and rookie Eya Laure.
Rondina has been averaging 18 points a game for the Tigresses so far with Alessandrini and Laure chipping in 15.6 points per match each.
The team has been tops in spiking in the league with a 29.4% success rate.
The Tigresses are coming off a spirited four sets victory over UP, 21-25, 25-22, 25-16 and 25-20, on Feb. 24.
Versus the Lady Maroons, UST held their own amid a spirited back-and-forth to bring down erstwhile undefeated UP.
Alessandrini led the Tigresses in the victory with 22 points, 19 coming from attacks and three from blocks.
Laure added 18 points while Rondina finished with 17.
“We are having a good start at 2-1; a good position. We will continue fighting until the end of the season. Our aim is to go deep in the tournament and we are going to give our all each game,” said UST coach Kung-fu Reyes following their win over UP.
Meanwhile, waiting for UST is FEU, which has slipped since opening the tournament with a victory.
The Lady Tamaraws lost to the Ateneo Lady Eagles in their last game by way of a heartbreaking five-setter after taking the first two sets and they hope to bounce back and set their campaign back on the right track.
Rookie Lycha Ebon is top-scoring for FEU in the season with 12.3 points per game, followed by Cel Domingo with 11.6 points and Heather Guino-o 11.3 points.

Late equalizer forces Kaya to settle for draw

LOCAL football side Kaya FC-Iloilo missed out on getting the full three points in its 2019 AFC Cup opener after a late equalizer forced it to settle for a draw in Laos.
Seemingly on its way to a victory in its first game back in the tournament off a Jovin Bedic goal in the 18th minute, Kaya saw itself fall to a Group H stalemate with home team Lao Toyota FC when defender Sayfa Aphideth managed to break through in the 87th minute.
It was an outcome that left Kaya ruing and something it hopes to make up for in its game.
Kaya got off to a flying start at the Laos National Stadium, forcing Lao Toyota’s defense to work early.
Mr. Bedic’s goal put more pressure on their opponent while also propelling Kaya’s motor all the way to the break.
But Lao was not to go out easily, capitalizing on the opportunities presented to it.
Its efforts paid off late in the contest as Mr. Aphideth found himself in great scoring position and delivered accordingly with three minutes left in regulation time after catching a pass from captain Kazuo Honma.
Kaya still tried to salvage a win after but was unsuccessful in doing so and just settled for a point from the draw.
“We were unlucky not to get all three points. We played well in the first half. We were able to control things. But we didn’t play so well in the second,” said Iloilo head coach Noel Marcaida post-match as he shared his thoughts on how it went for them in the match.
“There were two moments late in each half where we switched off. The last one cost us a goal. Moving forward we need to learn to be switched on for the full 90,” the coach added.
Incidentally, the other match in Group H between Home United FC of Singapore and PSM Makassar of Indonesia also ended in 1-1 draw, leaving all teams in the group with a point each after their debuts.
Kaya next plays on March 13 against Home United at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium while Lao Toyota travels to Indonesia to face PSM Makassar. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Inspiring run by University of the Philippines Maroons to be immortalized in book

ONE of the feel-good stories in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines is set to be immortalized as a coffee-table book on the inspiring run of the University of the Philippines men’s basketball team in Season 81 is being cooked up.
The book, to be written by columnist Naveen Ganglani, is set to chronicle the amazing journey of the Maroons from its string of losing campaigns to its UAAP finals return after three decades this season.
It, too, provides readers with an in-depth look into the events leading to the humble beginnings of Nowhere to go but UP (NTGBU), a group of UP alumni volunteers who dared to believe that they could reinvigorate UP’s resource-challenged sports programs.
Viewing the team’s turnaround as something that should be spotlighted and told, Mr. Ganglani said a book on it is but fitting.
“As an outsider looking in, I hope to convey how the story of a rival school is incredibly inspiring, even to those who do not bleed maroon. I hope to do justice to their story by writing an accurate, comprehensive, well-researched book that will answer many questions about the rise of the Maroons,” said Mr. Ganglani, an alumnus of De La Salle University who covered the UAAP for years.
“What were the early challenges the group faced as UP tried to rehabilitate its reputation as one of the UAAP’s cellar-dwellers? What was the motivation behind the bonfire during a one-win campaign which was celebrated in Diliman, but mocked outside of the university’s walls? What led to UP hero and legend Paul Desiderio nearly missing out on the chance to wear the school’s name across his chest? How was a once-in-a-generation talent like Juan Gomez De Liaño brought into the fold? Why was it so important for UAAP MVP Bright Akhuetie to leave a legacy at UP that he chose the school over other suitors? These are just some of the questions the book hopes to answer,” Mr. Ganglani added.
The book, to published by the Nowhere to go but UP Foundation, will also have exclusive interviews with UP’s coaching staff and players, as well as key alumni from the UP community who helped augment the state university’s athletic programs.
For NTGBU, the book is hoped to inspire not only the UP community but anybody who dares to dream and succeed.
“The goal really is to produce a tome that will be enjoyed not only by UP alumni and fans of the Fighting Maroons, but also by those who are looking for motivation to strive for something bigger,” said NTGBU Chairperson and UP Maroons Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

7-Eleven Trail 2019 to sponsor top 3 cyclists to Spain

OVER 3,000 cyclists overcame difficult terrain to prove they are the best of the best at the recently concluded 7-Eleven Trail 2019, marking the sixth year of the biggest and most anticipated mountain bike race in the Philippines. The race, which took place at Timberland Heights in Rizal last Feb. 17, once again became a platform for the cycling community to hone their biking skills and gain a deeper appreciation for the environment.
“7-Eleven Trail continues to attract top cyclists from all over the country as we focus on increasing the quality of the race each year,” Philippine Seven Corp. President and CEO Jose Victor Paterno said. “We have specifically made this race challenging as we would want to help Filipinos of every skill level improve in this specific sport, while enabling Filipino athletes to shine on an international stage.”
This year’s race offered two distances: 30KM and 40KM, with participants that consisted of both athletes and enthusiasts.
The overall winners of the 40KM distance were each awarded an all-expense paid trip to La Pinilla, Spain to represent the country in the Red Bull Holy Bike cycling competition in May, as well as cash prizes and gift bags from event sponsors. Name, ranking, and official time are as follows:
Alvin Benosa (1:50:08); Archie Duran (1:51:28); Jericho Rivera (1:55:17).
For 38-year-old Benosa, the whole trail experience gave him mixed emotions. He admitted that he found the course hard but he was happy to know that his rigorous training paid off.
“I train every day and focus on my well-being to ensure I’m in perfect shape when the race date comes,” Benosa said. “The key is to be disciplined.”
The winner of the female 40KM category is Ariana Dormitorio with an official race time of 2:17:22. Being raised by a family of cyclists, she attributed her success to a support system that understands the career she chose to pursue.
“As long as you have friends and a very strong family support who also agrees on what you’re doing, it’s very fulfilling and I’m glad I have to do this everyday.”
Dormitorio is followed by second placer Nicole Quinones and third placer Melissa Jane Jaroda.
Next year, 7-Eleven Trail will only feature the 40KM race. 7-Eleven Trail 2019 will be the last time the 30KM distance will be offered. According to Paterno, who was also among the top finishers in his age group, they will be removing the 30KM category starting next year to make way for a more competitive race.
The event is part of 7-Eleven’s commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle through outdoor and athletic activities.

ABS-CBN’s iWant now has a sports section

iWant Sports logo
CONSISTENT with its push to reach more Filipinos in the digital space, ABS-CBN recently launched a sports section on its popular streaming device iWant.
A one-stop section housing various sports content offerings, iWant affords every Filipino sports fan easy access to content on whatever device, whenever they want and wherever they are.
“We understand the desire of our diehard sports fans, and even casual sports enthusiasts, for intense and compelling sports content. We want to make it easier for them to catch the action and stories from the best tournaments in the country right now and witness great performances unfold in real time in one location, which is iWant,” said Dino Laurena, ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head, of iWant Sports.
iWant Sports started in time for the start of the opening of the Season 81 volleyball tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines on Feb. 16.
Also available on the platform are goings-on and updates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Premier Volleyball League (PVL) , Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), Pinoy Pride, boxing events, and national tournaments.
Apart from the games, sports aficionados can also access other sports content such as ABS-CBN S+A productions like flagship program The Score, UAAP special University Town, lifestyle show Upfront, sports documentaries like UAAP G.O.A.T, as well as sports-related ANC or ABS-CBN programs like motoring show Rev, sports talk show Hardball, and current affairs show Sports U.
iWant can be accessed via its iOS or Android apps or via web browser on iwant.ph. One can also enjoy the streaming platform at home by connecting the service to their TVs by way of Chromecast and Apple Airplay. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Wade helps Miami Heat stun Golden State Warriors

LOS ANGELES — Dwyane Wade banked in a miracle shot — a three-pointer at the buzzer off of one leg — as the host Miami Heat shocked the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors 126-125 on Wednesday night.
For Miami, Goran Dragic had 27 points, Wade finished with 25 points, and Josh Richardson scored 21.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 36 points, Kevin Durant had 29, and Stephen Curry added 24.
The Heat snapped their six-game home losing streak, and they did it two nights after losing to the team with the worst record in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns.
Miami had also given Golden State a great battle on Feb. 10 before falling 120-118.
On Wednesday, Dragic scored 20 of his points in the second quarter when Miami led by as many as 24 points. That was the highest-scoring quarter of Dragic’s stellar career.
Warriors forward Draymond Green fouled out and was held to five points.
In addition, Golden State rested starting center DeMarcus Cousins, who missed one calendar year after foot surgery and didn’t return until Jan. 18. He had a season-high 24 points on Monday, but the Warriors played it safe.
Meanwhile, the Heat got three players off the injured list: wing Rodney McGruder (right knee), point guard Justise Winslow (left knee) and forward Derrick Jones (illness). The Heat was still missing power forward James Johnson (left shoulder).
Early on, the game was all Miami.
Durant missed his first five shots, helping the Heat build a 32-22 first-quarter lead.
Miami, which shot a sizzling 63.2 percent from the floor at halftime, including 9-for-18 on three-pointers, stretched its lead to 74-59 at the break. Thompson’s 21 first-half points kept Golden State at least within range for their explosive offense.
Sure enough, the Warriors cut their deficit to 100-92 after three quarters. Curry had 10 points in the third quarter, and Durant added eight.
The Warriors finally caught the Heat at 109-all on a Durant fall-away jumper with 5:09 left in the fourth quarter.
Golden State then led 124-120 with 18 seconds left, but Wade made two three-pointers in the final 15 seconds, including the one Heat fans likely will remember for a long time. — Reuters

Hall of Famer center Abdul-Jabbar auctions four NBA champion rings

LOS ANGELES — An auction featuring four of Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA championship rings runs through Saturday.
The league’s all-time leading scorer is auctioning rings he won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1988, plus other game-used and autographed memorabilia from his legendary career.
Abdul-Jabbar, 71, wrote on his website earlier this month that “much of the proceeds” will benefit his Skyhook Foundation, a charity that helps kids learn about science, technology, engineering and math.
“When it comes to choosing between storing a championship ring or trophy in a room, or providing kids with an opportunity to change their lives, the choice is pretty simple. Sell it all,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
“Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I’d rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future.
“That’s a history that has no price.”
The auction is being conducted by Goldin Auctions. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bidding on his ring from the 1985 NBA championship was up to $85,000, and the bidding on a signed basketball from his final NBA game in 1989 was up to $75,000.
A six-time NBA champion and six-time Most Valuable Player, Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. — Reuters

Time to go

To argue that Carmelo Anthony has had a controversial 2018-19 campaign would be to understate the obvious. Following a season with the Thunder in which he wound up an ill fit as a third option, he found himself traded to and bought out by the Hawks (in the process literally earning an unused jersey), and then signing, to much fanfare, with the Rockets. Unfortunately, his welcome lasted all of three weeks; he was decommissioned after 10 games, and then traded to the Bulls, who also saw fit to promptly cut their ties with him. All the criticisms about his outdated style of play aside, he deserves a better finish to his Hall of Fame career.
Not that Anthony believes he’s done. True, he‘s ready for the possibility of forced retirement. “I’d be sitting here lying to you if I said it’s not coming soon,” he told The Huffington Post’s Taryn Finley. “At the end of the day, at anything you do, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.” Then again, he’s clearly holding out hope some playoff-bound team somewhere would find some value in availing of his services. And it’s not inconceivable; pro hoops annals are littered with examples of supposed castoffs making significant postseason contributions en route to collective success.
That said, there appears to be a chasm between the possible and the probable when it comes to Anthony. It has been a full three weeks since the trade deadline came and went, and yet there has been little to no interest in him. And if there’s any sense of urgency, it can’t be more evident than today. After the first of March, no player claimed off the waiver wire can burn rubber in the playoffs. Which is why speculation on his immediate future has again intensified. Where will he go? Or, better yet, where can he go?
Strange things happen with frequency in the National Basketball Association, so there can no such thing as never insofar as player movements are concerned. On the other hand, it’s fair to contend that Anthony’s coming close to the end of the line. Even the Lakers, who continually aim to please LeBron James, his close friend, aren’t biting, and no wonder; his midrange strengths don’t fit the system of the purple and gold. And, at this point, they’re not even certain of making the postseason, where, at the very least, his experience can count in the locker room.
So, yes, Anthony’s at a crossroads again, and probably the last one he’ll encounter before calling it quits. Should he get the path with the dead end, it’s too bad his final outing was a whimper. Two points off one-of-12 shooting in an ultimately meaningless November loss shouldn’t be the way to go, but it may be his. To his credit, though, he’s ready — as, seemingly, everybody else has long been.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Getting kicked and being told to ‘go back to the kitchen’: What it’s like to be a female gamer

[vc_custom_heading text=”‘If you play casually, people are like savages.’
“]

Reporting
Mark Louis F. Ferrolino
Video
Paolo L. Lopez
Illustration
Fortunato V. Dañas
Editor
Sam L. Marcelo

Kyung-in “Tr1cks” Lee was sitting in front of a screen, playing an online game when the voice of some guy came through her headphones and, in much ruder language, asked her who she had to sleep with to get to her rank. Ms. Lee, captain of an all-female professional electronic sports (esports) team, fields these vulgar comments all the time. The disparagement is annoying, she said, since she climbed the ranks through solo queue—that is, on her own merit.
Ms. Lee and the rest of the members of the ArkAngel CSGO Female Pro Team recently sat down with BusinessWorld to talk about what it’s like to be women in the flourishing world of esports.  
The team is about to compete in the grand finals of the Word Electronic Sports Games (WESG) 2018-2019 season to be held in China from March 7 to 17, after bringing home the gold medal in the women’s division of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) at WESG Southeast Asia last December.

“If you play casually, people are like savages,” Joy Maria “Joy” delos Reyes said. Her teammate, Shara Mari “Kuchiii” Koshikawa, added: “When they know you’re a girl, sometimes they kick you.” (“Kick” here means to boot a player out of a game.)

 
 
 

“If you play casually, people are like savages” 

 

[vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEDV4FOB4D0″]

The members agreed that it was sometimes better to turn off their microphones in a match against random players—even if that would mean putting themselves at a disadvantage—than to deal with the misogyny that pervades esports.
Communication is essential in CS:GO, a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and Valve Corporation. Winning a match rests heavily on a team’s ability to relay in-game information such as how many opponents might be lurking in a specific location. If shutting off their mics isn’t a viable option, then the members of ArkAngel shift to another strategy: pretending that they’re prepubescent 12-year-old boys whose voices haven’t dropped.
Gender discrimination against female gamers can take several forms, including inappropriate comments (Jiles Korine “Laire” Buenviaje was told to “go back to the kitchen”) and unconscious bias in favor of male gamers. To illustrate the latter, Ms. Lee said that it is a common scenario for a less-competent male gamer to be chosen by a team over his female counterpart.

The leader of the ArkAngel team speaks from experience. While playing at a tournament in America, people repeatedly questioned her spot on a mostly male team. “They asked my captain at that time, ‘Why do you have a girl in your team? Like, of all the players you could have picked in America, why did you choose this girl?,’” she said.
Thankfully, two of her teammates came to her defense, saying that Ms. Lee deserved to be there—there was nothing “token” about her spot on the team. “It was the first time I ever heard a male player stand up for me based on my skills,” she said.
WAITING FOR THE CULTURE TO CATCH UP
In reality, esports is no longer the male-dominated space it used to be. According to a report released in 2018 by the Entertainment Software Association, 45% of gamers in the US are female, and adult women represent a greater portion of the video game-playing population at 33% than males under 18 years of age at 17%.
Although the demographics have changed, gaming culture has not. Eyeballing the competitive scene shows only a few women in the upper echelons. The issue is not one of competence but of confidence. “You can’t always take everything people say online to heart, and that’s something that a lot of them [female gamers] do,” she said, adding that “it gets hard especially in the pro scene.”
To equal the playing field, esports organizers have either mounted female-only tournaments or added female divisions to general tournaments. For instance, the WESG, an international esports championship tournament based in Shanghai organized by AliSports, started in 2016 with only four games then expanded to include female divisions in 2017.
Also worth noting is the Female ESports League (FSL), an annual league for female gamers that aims to grow the number of competitive female gamers and to see them compete in top-tier tournaments.
As early as 2005, an organization called Women in Games International (WIGI) has been promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in the global gaming industry. The organization stands as strong advocates for issues crucial to the success of women and men in the gaming industry, including a better work-life balance, healthy working conditions, increased opportunities for success, and resources for career support.
“Females really have a place in eSports scene. If they choose to have it, they can choose to enter that scene. And whether or not they excel in it is really their own choice,” Ms. Lee said.

SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL
While female-only tournaments do provide a platform for women in the industry, some women view them as a means for segregation instead of integration and acceptance.
“When you enter the female scene, you can’t leave it. There is this sudden wall that people say, ‘You’re part of the female tournaments.’ It’s like you’re not part of the general tournaments anymore,” said Ms. Lee.
“So advantages, disadvantages: You have a spot, but it’s almost like you can’t break free from it,” Ms. Lee said.
Esports is on a promising track and the inclusion of women in the industry—both on stage and behind the scenes—is critical for its overall success. “Esports wasn’t made just for guys. It was made for gamers, and gamers don’t mean guys only. It means whoever loves games,” Ms. Lee said.

“Esports wasn’t made just for guys. It was made for gamers, and gamers don’t mean guys only. It means whoever loves games,” Ms. Lee said.

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