In a surprising move, Terengganu Football Association (or PBSNT) is set to become the first Asian football club to participate in a competitive eSport tournament for Fifa Online 3 (FO3) at Red Bull Coliseum on October 9-29.
This makes the Liga Premier team to be the first ever Malaysian football club to establish an eSports team with them recruiting two pro FO3 players to represent Terengganu FA and joins a growing number of Football clubs establishing eSports teams, with notable examples include Manchester City and West Ham United,the first team that started this trend.
Syafiq Hardy, Chief Marketing Officer of Terengganu FA, said that they see FIFA eSports as a digital extension of their core business and,via marketing partners, are not only looking for the possibility to advertise on the official kit or at the stadium, but also want to reach the younger target group through online channels. With their commitment to eSports, they are able to create and offer entirely new opportunities to fulfill these wishes.
Fikri Rizal, Partnerships Associate of Garena Malaysia sees this agreement with Terengganu FA as an overwhelming breakthrough for Malaysian Esports as a whole and would hope to see more local football clubs to following in the direction that The Turtle’s are spearheading.
Curiously enough, Terengganu FA is trying to transitioning beyond Fifa in titles such as Leagues of Legends. So that might be interesting.