A Dublin teenager who has been signed up to play with a professional computer gaming team will represent Ireland in the World Cyber Games next November.
Seán Walsh (16) from Sutton qualified this morning after comprehensively winning his final in the 'Trackmania Nations Forever' game.
Séan is going into fifth year at Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle. His gaming prowess was noticed when he took part online in the amateur Electronic Sports League recently.
He was then approached by Team Dignitas, a professional e-sport team based in the UK which is sponsored by Intel and has already won £300 in a tournament in London.
Séan is hoping getting through the final in China in November will boost his ability to compete in the professional arena.
"I'm very excited," he said. "These are the best players in the world. It will be extremely interesting and it will help me improve my game. I think TrackMania is only going to get bigger and bigger."
Walsh will be the only Irish representative at the World Cyber Games, which have been described as the Olympics of gaming.
In previous years, Ireland has sent at least a half dozen competitors to the annual event, but the absence of sponsorship and the expense of getting to China means that this year he will be our sole competitor.
Mark Kenny from LanParty.ie, which organises gaming competitions, said every team competing in the World Cyber Games is suffering from a lack of sponsorship, though the gaming industry itself remains strong despite the recession.
"Nobody wants to give anybody money. It's coming in, but it's going back out again," he said.
