KUALA LUMPUR - Goal 2021 is back with its third and final installation of the Goal Mobile Legends tournament. The tournament is a collaboration between Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita dan Gadis (WOMEN:girls) and Esports Business Network (EBN) in an effort to create a competitive esports environment for girls to develop leadership skills and confidence.
The Goal programme was created by Standard Chartered Bank in 2003 in an effort to empower girls globally through sports and play, and has impacted over 600,000 girls since its inception.
Malaysia welcomed the program in 2018 through WOMEN:girls as the implementing organisation, and has been dedicated to train young girl leaders in the Klang Valley using the sports medium of netball. To date, Goal Malaysia has reached out to more than 8,000 girls within the Klang Valley, Sarawak, Malacca and Sabah.
In an effort to continue empowering girls during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Malaysian chapter of Goal pivoted to esports and remains the only chapter to do so globally.
“Our vision at WOMEN:girls is to encourage and provide opportunities for girls and women to reach their highest potential in anything they decide to do, and to pursue their dreams. This includes industries and fields that are otherwise seen as taboo for females.
"We realised that the entry barrier for esports can be quite challenging for women to pursue a career in and be as successful as their male counterpart, and therefore are committed to alleviate these challenges,” said Izza Izelan, Executive Director of WOMEN:girls.
“Through our efforts with Goal, we have managed to provide a clearer road map and support for girls who are interested in pursuing a career as esports athletes with the help of female esports gamers and casters as mentors.”
According to a published report by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Strategic Plan for Esports Development 2020 – 2025), a total of 42% of active PC players are women and girls. However, the report also highlighted lack of support for female esports athletes as the main roadblock for them to succeed as compared to their male counterparts.
According to Adrian Gaffor, Group CEO of Esports Business Network, "There is a vast amount of talent in the esports industry to shout about and through building this partnership, we aim to create a welcoming community and ecosystem which encourages more women to be a part of esports at any level.
"Esports will continue to grow in the upcoming years and it's important to start fostering a more inclusive environment now.
“Esports Business Network as a group of companies supports all Women in Gaming initiatives and sees it as a positive area of growth for the industry. We believe that this segment of the industry has massive potential in strengthening the esports and general gaming community to help with further legitimisation of the industry as a whole. In the future EBN will be looking to be more involved in this segment of the industry.”
The Mobile Legends tournament, co-organised by WOMEN:girls and EBN’s Esports marketing agency The Gaming Company, consisted 12 teams with female participants aged 13-17. It was the final installation of a 3-part tournament series and the culmination of the Mobile Legends training within the Goal program.
For its fourth year, the Goal Malaysia programme under WOMEN:girls was successfully implemented online with 120 female secondary school students from eight schools nationwide.
The participants completed 20 weeks of the Goal esports curriculum on topics that cover relevant skills such as in-game safety, discipline, physical health and emotional health.
Abrar A. Anwar, managing director and chief executive officer Standard Chartered Malaysia, said, “When the pandemic hit the country in 2020, Goal Malaysia successfully pivoted to an online platform and since then, all modules have been carried out virtually.
"To adapt to the new normal, we introduced two new modules - Be Digitally Savvy, to provide participants with tools on how to navigate in this digital world and esports to replace the physical netball game. We have also equipped Goal girls with added knowledge on cybersecurity to help them to be more responsible and vigilant while using the internet”.
“I am personally proud of how our Goal programme has empowered our Goal girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be economic leaders in their families, schools and communities.
"Goal is our flagship education programme within Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, our global initiative that aims to tackle inequality and promote economic inclusion”, he added. - The Vibes. August 30, 2021
