JEDDAH, 27 December 2005 — The local qualification rounds for the fourth Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) will be launched soon in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to select the best players to represent Saudi Arabia in the ESWC 2006 to take place next summer in France, according to Yasser Mohammed Fida Bahjat, ESWC supervisor in the Middle East.

Bahjat addressed the media during a press conference Sunday at E-Warz cafe at Palestine Street, the official playground for the qualification rounds.

Bahjat said that the number of participants did not exceed 1,000 in previous years.

“This year, we might have 3,000 participants Kingdom-wide,” he said.

Bahjat said he hoped to form a league for this competition and make the Kingdom the pioneer in organizing it.

“We have excellent talents who already raised the name of the Kingdom for the last two world tournaments,” he said.

Saudi college student Badr Hakeem won the world cup last year in this competition, taking home the grand prize of $13,000.

Bahjat pointed out that the local qualification rounds for this year would take place through May 2006. He said that there would be a weekly report of the qualifier and the world cup games on weekly basis on Super Tech TV, the media sponsor of the Saudi Team.

Last year, 50 countries participated in the ESWC 2005 games, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunis, Lebanon and UAE.

Entry forms for local participants will be accepted in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The entry fee is SR100.

Entry forms in Riyadh will be received at the offices of VS Company for E-Entertainment located at the intersection of King Abdullah Road and Abu Baker Al Siddique Road, Nouzha.

In Jeddah, entry forms will be received at E-Warz Cafe at Palestine Center on Palestine Street.

In the Eastern Province, entry forms will be received at the Networks (Shabakat) Cafe in Dhahran, near the Aramco main gate.

Gaming enthusiasts can get more updates and information about the ESWC by e-mailing eswc@e-warz.com, or visiting the ESWC website.