Just a Story of the team which nobody will miss on WCG2007
Izvinite chto na angliskam..
Written for http://www.hltv.org
On e-sports related web sites, time-to-time, we all see scene or, team news with headline: X misses Y due to visa problems...
For past 10 minutes Ive been searching news with keyword: visa... I found bunch of stuff, in which, I bet, not all semi-pro players are interested...
Im from Tbilisi, Georgia... (I bet for second time that first youve thought of US State, no, its small country in eastern-Europe) While ago, I was said to be semi-pro player, in my country, once, pro players of Georgia were going to WCG 2004 Grand Finals... and, even when I have read that news on one of most popular Georgian e-sport related web site, I dont even commented, to be honest..
After three years, my team won WCG Georgia 2007, as we all know, WCG Committee has decided to host event in Seattle, USA. Before, Ive been to Italy, on WCG 2006 and in Germany, on SEC 2007, as a team leader of my country. But every active player has a dream, to represent his country as a player, not team leader, even thru, Team Leaders are one of most respectful attendances on such nation-based championships. I think you understand me... Its all about feelings and passion, to play, not just to attend...
So again, to get back to line, when we won the final, I thought my dream came true, but actually, it was beginning of the end&
I, as a manager and captain of the team, Ive done everything for my team, found sponsor for our trip to WCG Finals (dont forget that Samsung denied organizers request to sponsor Counter Strike teams costs from Georgia) thats your 10,000 USD, found Internet Service Provider, as a sponsor, which gave us fiber-optical internet, with cost of 3,000 USD (for two month, until 1st October) we were happy, we had passion coming thru our hearts, we just wanted to do it not for only our selves, but for our nation& we just wanted to compete on a high level..
We were training and training... but thats not the main thing... If you ask beginner Georgian gamer, which is the best team in Georgia, they will answer: Millennium Gaming... Not because we won WCG, not because we easily won all good teams... just because we are all teenagers, we all started our gaming career not that long as other players, which used to dominate before Millenniums era... Slogan, which we carried all this time was: If we did, why cant you? In did we meant that we are first team with our own base, with that much sponsors and with serious PR all over the media...
Ok, back to track... we won WCG qualifier, played a lot and here comes the time us to get our visas. We woke up early, cause we had our interviews at embassy on 08:30, we all talked about the same, new strats and how we all wanted to go from embassy and play again with European teams... We were interviewed since 11:30 till 12:20... Council, the guy who is sitting on another side of a window, told us that we werent able to get visas for our trip, cause, we couldnt insure him that we would get back to Georgia, I dont know how it looks like, when council of USA denies invitation of government of city Seattle, USA.. (Shocked)
Team Leader, 5 Counter Strike players, 2 warcraft and one fifa guy looked to the council with the one and the same face, saying why? At the second, remembered the phrase from Rocky Balboa : you shouldn't be asking people to come down here and pay the freight on something they paid, it still ain't good enough, I mean you think that's right? I mean maybe you're doing your job but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? Cause if you're willing to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you want to get, who's got the right to stop you? I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do, something you never said to someone, something... and you're told no, even after you paid your dues? Who's got the right to tell you that, who? Nobody! It's your right to listen to your gut, it ain't nobody's right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do!... You know, the older I get the more things I gotta leave behind, that's life. The only thing I'm asking you guys to leave on the table... is what's right.
Our legend, to get Georgian cybersport to the next level.. kind of, failed.. it finished with the worse end in all over the history..
Im sure you dont even understand how DEADLY difficult it is to get sponsors for cybersport teams in Georgia.. 99,9% of people with money doesnt have a clue in cybersport, and if 0,1% which has, hates mainly Counter Strike cause his/her son plays that game all over the day.. We were said to be heroes to get involved that much sponsors in the case, with actual, 13,000 USD cost..
In Georgia we have no EPS, we have no ESWC, we have no other championships, besides WCG& we missed 2004, well miss 2007& we have very bad connection (which is available for public), lets say so Georgian cybersport is dead.. until summer of 2008, cause then are regional qualifiers for WCG Georgia.. But even, if heroes of Georgian cybersport failed to get visas for finals, why we will get sadly its now a main slogan among Georgian gamers&
I bet 10 bucks, right now, right here , that, passion, which Millennium Gaming had after winning WCG Georgia 2007 till denying visa request, wont come back to another champion for many years.. And if it comes back, Id be happy to loose my 10 dollars.
We are part of the history.. history is aint only paper with dates& its much more.. And Im sure, after year, maybe two or three somebody will ask why in history, there is missing name of council, which killed Georgian cybersport ? I have an answer Cause he is nobody, know why ? NOBODY has the right to tell you not to do something, if you earned it.
And now Millennium Gamings Georgian Counter Strike Squad disbanded.
Volley and rzk will be studying in the university, they earned big points on their exams
Faceless will remain his studies in High School
PaVeL is planning to go to Military service
Styl3r is moving to Russia, Saint Petersburg State University for his studies and is looking for Russian division of Counter Strike 1.6, and after 20 seconds, he will finish this article.
Good luck with visas.
And thanks to Titans of Georgian Cybersport Millennium Gaming..
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