Metfone and Mineski Global signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development of e-sports in Cambodia on August 12, in the first and largest collaboration of its kind ever in the Kingdom.
The event at the leading mobile operator’s headquarters in Phnom Penh was presided over by Metfone general director Phung Van Cuong and Ronald Robins, founder and chairman of Mineski Global, the specialists in operating and organising the No1 e-sports events in Southeast Asia.
The signing of the MoU is not only a major development in terms of business, but also for the development of e-sports in Cambodia, with the gradual professionalising of the industry in the Kingdom.
Along with the strategic direction of development and the approach to young customers, the cooperation agreement will be a premise for the strategy to be effective.
“Metfone provides a variety of telecommunications-digital technology services to promote the digital life for Cambodian society, with e-sports one of the mainstream products in the digital ecosystem that Metfone is currently focusing on.
“As a leading company in the telecommunications industry, Metfone – as is shown by the signing of this MoU – is making concerted efforts to develop the e-sports field professionally and comprehensively,” said Phung Van Cuong.
The International Olympic Committee in 2017 acknowledged e-sports and concluded that video games can be considered sporting activities when players train and prepare with as much intensity as traditional sports.
And at the the upcoming 2023 SEA Games, which will be held in Cambodia, e-sports will be an official sport alongside the traditional disciplines.
Phung Van Cuong said this reflected e-sports’ explosion as “a global cultural phenomenon”.
“E-sports recently becoming an official sport at the Southeast Asian Games reflects how gaming has become a global cultural phenomenon appearing alongside traditional sports in major events.
“Every year, thousands of tournaments, both large and small, are held globally, attracting tens of millions of spectators each year,” he said.
Metfone has millions of players Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which accounts for a 90 per cent market share in Cambodia, with hundreds of thousands of daily players on the Metfone network.
Metfone is also a Presenting Sponsor of games developer Moonton's MPL tournament, which has the highest interest and viewership in Cambodia.
“The strengthening of cooperation between Metfone and Mineski Global promises to be an important base for professionalising the e-sports industry in Cambodia, bringing interesting and positive experiences to users.
“With Mineski as a companion, it will help Metfone quickly become the No1 choice for experiencing e-sports on mobile devices in Cambodia,” said Phung Van Cuong.
