Andrew Nel is officially a second-year mechanical engineering student at Tuks, but when he has free time there is nothing he loves more than to be "commandeering his forces".

It is important to him that they get to bolster their military and expansionist goals while vying against others for resources. If he can have his way, Tuks will take the "fight" to the USA, Canada, Japan, and Europe. 

It sounds dramatic, but in reality, it is not. Nel is an Esports fanatic and chairperson of the Tuks Club. His forte is strategy games. According to him, it boils down to chess-like video games. One wrong decision could lead to everything he has worked for being destroyed in mere seconds. Even costing "lives". 

The technology consulting firm Activate estimates that more than 250 million people watch Esports. It is predicted that in the United States Esports will have more viewers than every professional sports league but the NFL by next year. 

According to Nel, however, in South Africa, the sport is still in its infancy. 

"My dream as chairperson of the Tuks Esports Club is to start the process that will enable us to play internationally in a few years from now. Before we can even think about this, it will be essential to set up a proper infrastructure at the club. 

"We need at least six computers for starters as that is how many players there usually are on a team that is competing.

"Equally important is marketing Esports amongst the students on campus. I have already done a survey amongst our students. It would seem that Fifa and rugby are at the moment the most popular."

Nel is a realist. He admits that one of the risks playing Esports is that players can get so addicted that nothing else matters.

"For this reason, the club has definite rules. Our members are required to achieve a certain minimum percentage in their exams. Failure to comply means no play. It is that simple. It is all about having a balance in life."

According to Nel, physical fitness is not really a prerequisite in Esports, but it certainly helps. 

"A game can last anything from 30 minutes to two hours. Often you get to play more than once. So the fitter you are, the better your reactions are as well as your decision-making. I am also a karateka as well as an archer which helps me."

Apparently, you don't need to be knowledgeable about rugby or football when playing Esports. The rules are self-explanatory, and you get to learn as you play. 

Nel said he got the idea that rugby and football players love playing Esports as it enables them to test some theoretical strategies.

"I guess if it works, we might get to see it in actual rugby and football games."

For more information about the Tuks Esports Club Nel can be contacted at [email protected].