Al-Ittihad football club announces its expansion into esports
In the footsteps of Al Hilal announcing it’s entering the world of competitive video games or eSports, it seems that another Saudi club will join in the latest digital trend
Similar to a number of international clubs that have begun to adopt professional video players as athletes, Saudi’s Al Ittihad has revealed, according to a tweet on Twitter, that the Al Ittihad eSports Club was established after receiving approval for the establishment of a FIFA team.
Mr. Yousuf Rafeh was appointed as the team manager, under the direction of the Board of Directors of Al Ittihad, to oversee the organizational matters and the team’s participation in the various events that will take place both in the Kingdom and in the Asian region. Saudi Arabi proved its dominance in the FIFA market by winning the eWorld Cup Championship through Mosaad “Msdossary” Al Dossary, beating his Belgian rival in last month final to win a $250,000 prize.
Saudi Arabia has given increasing attention to the field of esports this year, with the official recognition of competitive video games and the establishment of the Union of esports and mental activities, which is an extension of the Kingdom’s vision of the importance of these sports, as seen in a number of official tournaments with government support providing local players an opportunity to compete with their peers for valuable prizes.
