San Nicolas now leads Guam Esports Federation, new elected leaders set vision for esports expansion
By Pacific Daily News - August 15, 2024
Ken San Nicolas is now leading the Guam Esports Federation after an election of officers, setting a vision for esports expansion on the island.
During its quarterly board meeting, the federation inducted new membership and elected new officers:
Ken San Nicolas, president
Ibarra “Barry” Hernandez, vice president
Eric Blas, secretary general
CarriAnn Cabral, treasurer
The officers will serve four-year terms effective immediately.
“We are honored to be elected by our membership to lead the GESF for the next four years. Esports on Guam has grown exponentially over the past few years, and we aim to capitalize on this growth by increasing community efforts and outreach, providing industry education, upskilling current organizers, and showcasing Guam’s talent in the esports sphere,” San Nicolas said in a statement.
The Guam Esports Federation, recognized by the Guam National Olympic Committee, is the governing body responsible for organizing national qualifiers for international esports events like the Global Esports Federation’s Global Esports Games and the International Esports Federation Championships.
Since its founding in May 2022, the federation has fielded national representatives for Konami’s eFootball, Capcom’s Street Fighter series, Valve’s DOTA 2, Namco’s Tekken series, and Moonton’s Mobile Legends Bang Bang.
With the recent announcement from the International Olympic Committee about the Olympic Esports Games, the Guam Esports Federation is poised to organize qualifiers for potential Olympic Esports titles, as well as provide a support infrastructure for athletes that includes certified coaching, wellness training, equipment, and other logistics.
“We’re excited about the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games. While esports titles have been part of the Olympics before, this news represents a promising step towards mainstream esports games that we can field talent for,” Hernandez said. “We will be ready to send Guam’s best to represent our island when the titles are announced.”
In addition to competitive achievements, San Nicolas mentions that the GESF is committed to fostering community growth and advocating for youth health and wellness.
The federation plans to launch initiatives that promote healthy gaming habits, provide mental health resources, and encourage physical activity among young gamers.
By focusing on these areas, the GESF said it aims to create a balanced and supportive environment for all esports enthusiasts on Guam.
“There’s a strong link between well-being and performance: the better you feel, the better you perform. We want to teach this to aspiring competitors, especially the youth, and plan to provide the supporting infrastructure to do just that,” San Nicolas said.
