HBMEU launches the first university e-Games Championship

"The concept of having inter-university sports tournament is not new to us. We all have participated in these activities when we were younger in one way or another. But since the turn of the century, information technology has evolved dramatically from education to entertainment,"

said H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Mahmood Bin Abdul Rahman, Vice Chancellor of HBMEU

"It is now our way of life. As an educational institution, we have acknowledged this development when we introduced the electronic learning method. Once again the HBMEU is pioneering the first ever e-Games Championship, which will bring in electronic student athletes to play and compete proudly bearing their university flags," he added.

The e-Games Championship will be held on Oct. 28, 2009 in conjunction with the Dubai World Game Expo (DWGE) and World Game Championship (WGC) 2009 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Games will be on PC like Counter Strike 1.6 and Warcraft, on PlayStation will be Street Fighter and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, Virtual Tennis on Wii and Sega Rally on Arcade.

"It is a privilege for us to welcome on the floor of the DWGE and WGC 2009 the first e-Games University Championship. It is a proof that the Arab region and UAE in particular is now open in the concept of digital games as more of an edutainment. And we are glad that an auspicious educational institution like HBMEU is supporting and recognizing the importance of these games in today's social and educational culture," said Eng. Anas Al Madani, vice president, Index Holding, the organizers of DWGE and WGC 2009.

According to Ms. Alia Al Marri, Director of Learners Services, "When we did a research from university students a few months ago, it stirred their interests and we were surprised on how excited they got, they were so eager to nominate games and actively help in disseminating information to their friends from other universities. We really hope that these games will not only promote camaraderie among schools but also bring out the best electronic student athletes, who may in the future represent not only the school but the country to international competitions."

The event is expected to draw more than 200 university students who will compete for the top slot.