When we think of esports players, younger individuals tend to come to mind.
Most of us wouldn’t imagine silver-haired seniors wearing large gaming headphones and ultra-focused expressions in front of PCs. But that was exactly the scene at a recent League of Legends tournament in Taiwan.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
Proving that age is only a number, a group of elderly players in their 60s took part in the video game tournament at a university.
While they did not win the competition, they certainly won the hearts of netizens, many of whom said that they can finally use the phrase, “Even my grandma can play better than you.”
On Saturday (17 Dec), Hungkuang Evergreen Gaming, a team of elderly esports players, battled it out in a League of Legends tournament at Taichung’s Hungkuang University.
The youngest member is 62 years old while the oldest is 69.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
AP News reports that the team was formed by Huang Jianji, the director of the university’s department of multimedia game development and application.
One of the players, 65-year-old Chiang Yi-Shu, admitted that initially, she never thought of learning how to use a computer since she prefers real-life interactions.
However, that all changed when she started gaming.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
She said,
I figured out that it was good for the brain. And especially the use of hands, you need to have dexterity.
Studies have indeed found that those who frequently play video games display better memory and impulse control compared to non-gamers.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
It’s certainly a far cry from the common assumption – especially among older folks – that playing games can only rot your brain.
According to Madam Chiang’s coach Ego Hsu, the elderly woman would spend an hour travelling from her home to the university every week to train before the tournament.
She games for around five hours a week.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
While killing is common in games like League of Legends, Ms Hsu explained that they don’t focus so much on doing that with elderly players.
She explained that she would try to make the team members enjoy the game instead of always killing their characters.
“I think that having the character killed all the time would cause them depression,” said Ms Hsu.
Sadly, Hungkuang Evergreen Gaming did not win the tournament. However, it has still been a valuable opportunity for the team to try something new.
The experience also allowed Madam Chiang to overcome her ignorance of technology.
“I have lived for some time now, and I should not let this beat me — and I overcame,” she declared.
Source: AP Photo via AP News
As we get older, we tend to be more set in our ways and steer clear of exploring new hobbies and activities.
However, Madam Chiang and her teammates show that you can never be too old to try something different, even if it’s something that’s considered unusual for your age group.
We hope that Hungkuang Evergreen Gaming continues to participate in more esports tournaments and wish them all the best for their next competition.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from AP Photo via AP News.
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