2012 has been a good year for women who were involved in Mind SportsSouth Africa.
Lyrene Kahn and Gabriela Isaacs were selected to represent South Africa asmembers of the GIGABYTE™ Protea eSports Team for the 2012 IeSF World Championship in South Korea.
At such championship, Gabriela finished in second place and Lyrene finished ina very credible fourth place against very stiff international competition. Theresult was truly remarkable from the point of view that both Gabriela and Irenehad never before participated at an international championship.
On 8 December 2012, Lyrene entered the SA National Championships. Whilefemales and males play in separate championships in internationalchampionships, in South Africa both men and women play off against each other.
Notwithstanding the fierce competitiveness in SA gaming, Lyrene still dazzledall the gamers to finish in a very solid second place to only be beaten by Johannes Botma of Bloemfontein.
Not only did Lyrene do well, but Kristen Bishop (of Wits University) alsoshone. The two women forced all of the men (other than Johannes Botma) out of the medals to take second and third places respectively. The strength of female South African gamers seems to be thus assured.
Thus it was hardly surprising that at the MSSA’s Annual General Meeting, the entire meeting, with seemingly one voice, voted to award Lyrene Kahn the title of “2012 Best Newcomer of the Year” and Gabriela Isaacs as the “2012 eSports Gamer of the Year”.
