Brazil and Qatar, two very different countries but both with a natural love of sports, are now firmly joined together by their respective national love of phygital sport. Their recent GOTF Majors saw the phygital flame burn brightly with sporting, gaming and esports teams in both Brazil and Qatar quickly assembling to form phygital clubs to compete for coveted places at the Games of the Future 2025.
Instant interest
Brazil has quickly proved itself a fertile ground for phygital sports, so it was no surprise that the prospect of qualifying for The Games of the Future 2025 in the UAE was hugely attractive to sports, esports and gaming fans across the country. The prospect of the GOTF Major tournaments made an immediate impact, with a full roster of skilled and enthusiastic clubs quickly assembled in less than three days, poised to compete.
Moacyr Avelino Alves Junior, CEO at Phygital Brazil is confident that this is just the start, and that the phygital phenomenon is growing fast in his country.
“Even though this was our first time in Brazil, we attracted a lot of attention and support. Several of our country’s traditional sporting and gaming teams are keen to form their own phygital clubs, and I cannot be more excited. I have no doubt that phygital is here to stay, and will soon become a national sport.”
On the other side of the world, Qatar – which has recently become a powerhouse venue for elite events such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, is a nation not only committed to sports, but also esports, gaming and above all, innovation.
Wassim Aldayah, CEO at Dallah Holding Media, the organisers of the GOTF Major in Doha, is very excited by the swift uptake from potential phygital competitors.
“It was a fantastic to witness the level of response we received! We far exceeded our expectations with more than 34 registrations, so we selected our final 16 clubs on a first-come, first-served basis. This high level of participation, and enthusiasm really illustrates the amount of interest and uptake of phygital sports, we see this as just the beginning and are excited for the phygital future of Qatar!”
Preparation is key
Phygital sport is a groundbreaking new format and it was the first time that both the GOTF Major Brazil and GOTF Major Qatar had been organised, therefore both WPC members needed to rely on preparation, adaptability, and determination.
Brazil was quick off the blocks in securing funding for its forthcoming phygital endeavours. Liaising with the local authorities well in advance helped net $50,000 of funding to meet core expenses – with the state government so impressed they signed off the money in just 15 days – quite an achievement!
In Qatar, the need for advance planning was clear when it came to finding a venue. In Doha’s busy events calendar venues book up fast, however with some calendar adjustments, Qatar’s GOTF Major found a perfect home at the Aspire Zone in the heart of Doha: accessible and well-equipped for the physical and digital sides – a winning venue.
The future is bright, the future is phygital
Hosting such successful and popular GOTF Major tournaments has left both nations’ phygital athletes, fans and supporters hungry for more!
Moacyr Avelino Alves Junior knows only too well what Brazil’s phygital players and fans want: “The excitement was identical to that of traditional sports and this level of support was a huge motivator. Now our nation’s phygital athletes clamouring for more! We have new phygital clubs being created all over the country, many of which are poised and ready to compete for a place at The Games of the Future.”
