We are introducing Miodrag Staki?, the president of “eSports Serbia”. “eSports Serbia” is the sole and representative e-sports federation of Serbia, which newly joined as one of the respectful IeSF members. We would like to share his vision and passion toward e-sports with you all.
1.?How long have you been working in e-sports field and what motivation brought you into this field?
I am considering myself lucky to be able to participate in e-Sports development in Serbia from its very beginning. To be more precise, I found myself in this fine story since 2003. My main motives were, and still are oriented around something new in that time, which can and will be directed and developed in completely equal discipline within conventional sports all around the world.
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2. Please tell us briefly about?beginning, history,?and current status of e-sports market?in Serbia.
Like in every field in life, all startups are usually hard. It was like that with e-sports in Serbia. We, nationally had more obstacles compared to other countries, mainly oriented within non-educated population. Because of that, pace was generally a bit slower in those times than it should be. Infrastructure was underdeveloped, internet access analogue and very slow, gaming culture rudimental. But, on year-to-year basis, things changed. Thanks to general engagement of e-sports pioneers things started to roll out in adequate direction. I find myself very proud of that, and also the fact that we were there from day one, doing things that mattered. Today, we are in league with much bigger countries, being able to participate?and contribute both on national, regional and international levels.
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?3. Please give us introduction of?“eSports Serbia”?and major projects of it.
eSports Serbia is only national organization rounding up all e-Sports players in Serbia. Developing regionally, we cooperate with players from neighbor countries, giving possibilities for further close development. From starters, we were able to produce and organize World Cyber Games events on annual basis covering Serbia, and later on Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Montenegro and IeSF from 2011.Simultaneously, eSports Serbia started project of e-Sports acknowledgement as regular sports discipline.
4. If there is any difficulties or obstacles to operate national league and manage a national federation??And what do you think is crucial and necessary to make a national federation better?
Of course, many obstacles are in front of us. But, being able to overcome them is key guideline we are following all these years, and plan is to continue in that matter. Main obstacle in these times is funding. Economy crisis has strong impact on our country and is creating many problems we did not face before. From that perspective, we are doing tremendous work to maintain level of operation within national federation, trying to fulfill expectations from our members. Second obstacle, strongly connected with mentioned is e-Sports status in Serbia. Although progress is obvious, we still lack more support from government and institutions. When this project comes to conclusion, I believe that we will be able to consider ourselves and all e-Sports in Serbia and region?rock solid.
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5.?As one of new member of IeSF, what do you expect?‘eSports Serbia’?can contribute to global e-sports??And what do you expect IeSF can contribute to e-sports in Serbia?
Mutual development is one of our goals. In that way, we are expecting to transfer our various experience in building e-Sports Federation in country that is pretty specific. Experience we gained in turbulent times with lack of some things that are generally normal is priceless. Because of that, I think that global e-Sports will be able to benefit from Serbia as a member. On the other hand, tremendous development that e-Sports internationally has can and will provide us tools to make ourselves even better.
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6. What do you think should necessarily be taken to raise and?develop?e-sports?in Europe?
Standardization is the key point. To be able to unify national federations and to maintain high level of e-Sports culture within government and educational sector will produce consciousness of e-Sports as absolutely equal discipline with any other sports. Number of participants around the world is proof of that.
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7. If there is any recommendation?or supplement point?that you want to comment on IeSF for?being the global leader of e-sports, please tell us.
Just keep the good work. Together, as we grow, we will be able to do anything!
