Flip de Bruyn is the acting president of the Namibian Electronic Sports Association. He was recently elected as one of three new board members during the OGM at the 14th WE Championships in Bali and will use his insights and knowledge in the industry to further promote the sustainable growth of esports around the world.
We spoke with him about some of the challenges faced while working in the esports industry, as well as goals set out for this year.
Motto
“The true value of anything can only be seen by the experienced eye of the group to which it belongs.”
Your biggest challenge(s) that you’ve overcome in your professional career?
“I had to build esports in Namibia from a non-existent sport to a multi-million dollar yearly operation. In a third world country this is very difficult to do since esports does not exist in the culture here and is still viewed in a very negative light. Not only does one need to build the financial and business aspect of it, but one has to build the esports culture around it too. Due to the massive differences in esports scenes in the world and in Namibia, no models found anywhere can be directly used, so we had to adapt everything we found, or, we had to develop it from scratch.”
What are some of your goals for 2023?
“I can share one from each aspect of my life;
- Esports in Namibia
“I have several projects running in Namibia to build and develop esports. One of these is a massive project which can lead to esports being the first self-sufficient sport in my country. This will not necessarily mean that our sponsors and partners will become irrelevant, but it will give esports the conform of making and working towards its own goals on many levels which is not currently possible.”
- Esports and IESF
“I have two goals I want to reach within the IESF:
Firstly; I am a firm believer in the fact that any organization is only as good as their ability to gather, interpret and use data. This is one of the main reasons I have offered my skillset to help the IESF system move forward. This is surely something that can assist everyone. This is a massive undertaking, no matter how one looks at it; financially, politically, legally, and many more aspects. This is surely to be a good challenge.
Secondly; I want to develop a keen understanding of every aspect of the IESF organization to the smallest detail. I personally only feel that I would be able to provide assistance on all levels once I have overcome this hurdle. To provide a proper and thorough service to all members, one is required to have an in-depth understanding of all resources in your camp, and which resource is required to deal with any challenges that may arise.”
We’re excited for the road ahead and are looking forward to Flip’s contribution in the IESF Board!
