Japan has decided to undertake the challenge of creating an e-sports tournament for the disabled. For the first time in history, the e-sports association of Gunma Prefecture will host a tournament for players with disabilities. In the tournament, we will see 4 teams of 5 players battling it out in League of Legends on August 31. This tournament will take place at a venue named Big Cube in Takasaki City. Interestingly, the players will compete for a grand prize of ¥1,000,000 JPY ($9,300).
The association has been founded by Onelife Inc. The latter has also created a training facility for disabled professionals in order to help them get prepared for the tournament.
In fact, this causes a lot of stir because this game requires lightning-fast reaction times and lots of mouse-clicking. So many wonder how players with disabilities can cope with it. One of the contenders at the tournament, Ryuya Koshizuka, has muscular dystrophy. If you are not aware, this disease causes weakness and or loss of muscle mass. He is a quadriplegic. Simply put, he can’t control any of his four limbs. So how is he going to play League of Legends in the tournament?
Another player will come with a special apparatus attached to his nose and mouth. You can’t imagine but this will allow him to play the game using his breath. Though it’s not an easy task, he can do that after enough practice. ‘It was hard to remember [how to play] at first but now I can use it,’ Koshizuka said. ‘I hope to win at the tournament.’
Honestly, this initiative didn’t cause only positive feedback. Many think the players will suffer more trying to do this or that movement. The others are more optimistic and think it’s possible for disabled players to compete with the able-bodied in the future.
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