Olympic Council of Asia and AESF Introduces the ‘Road to Asian Games’ Campaign for 2022 Asian Games

Posted on by nesa in IESF, News

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) has confirmed the introduction of the new program, ‘Road to Asian Games’ for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games. In addition, the OCA has confirmed again the appointment of the AESF as the only Technical Delegate who will take charge of all the matters of technical conduct for Esports events at the 2022 Asian Games.

The AESF will be the exclusive organizer of ‘Road to Asian Games’, the official qualifier program and competition of esports to the Asian Games final. The AESF is the first Esports federation to introduce a direct pathway, ‘Road to Asian Games,’ whereby event titles selection and confirmation will be decided by AESF and allow publishers to be part of an Olympic event such as the Asian Games. The campaign will begin in Hangzhou 2022, and with AESF to continue the organization of Esports through to Nagoya 2026, Doha 2030 and beyond. This initiative will be the first of its kind to bring fair and equal opportunities to all publishers and advance esports developments not just to Asia, but worldwide.

With Esports making its debut as a medal event at the Asian Games, the AESF ‘Road to Asian Games’ campaign will also extend beyond the competition scenes. This campaign will lay the foundation in bringing the Olympic Spirit to
esports and introduce an education program for participating Esports athletes to share the Olympic Movement and Values not just in Asia, but globally. With plans for the promotion, sustainability and legacies underway, the emphasis will be on education and development in Esports. The key area of focus will be grassroots development, inclusion programs, career pathways, health and wellbeing support, as well as athlete’s rights and protection.

The AESF is excited to accelerate the esports movement from competitive video gaming event into official sport event with the participation in the Continental Games. The AESF plans to include virtual and simulating sports to the ‘Road to Asian Games’ and finals competition as a demonstration event, which will further encourage and expand esports scope from traditional titles which are recognised as console, computer or mobile esports game events. This inclusion will also aim to encourage both sports and esports community to engage in physical activity and promote mental wellbeing.

To officialise the partnership for the ‘Road to Asian Games’ campaign and the confirmation on the roles & responsibilities of AESF, an official Signing Ceremony was held with the OCA Director General Dr. Husain A H Z Al-Musallam, OCA Director of Sports Mr. Haider A H E Farman, AESF President Mr. Kenneth Fok, and AESF Director General Mr. Sebastian Lau in attendance. Announcing the partnership, Director General of OCA Dr. Husain AHZ Al-Musallam said “It is a great pleasure to officially announce our partnership between OCA and AESF for the new Esports program for our Asian Games and OCA will provide full support for successful Esports events at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. We wish the best to our partner AESF on the journey ahead,” he added.

In line with this partnership, the OCA reconfirms that the AESF is the sole official governing body of esports in Asia and will be fully responsible for all technical aspect of esports competitions at Asian Games as well as any other OCA events.

“I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the continuous support and trust from the OCA. I believe that the Asian Games presents the best stage for us to share Olympic Values with Esports community and we aim to make our Esports communities develop further through this opportunity. Also, we look forward to a successful collaboration with OCA as well as LOC.” said Mr. Fok in a speech during the signing.

Disclosing AESF’s role and responsibility, OCA Director of Sports Mr. Haider A H E Farman added, “Leading up to the Asian Games, the Asian Electronic Sports Federation will have the leading role and take full responsibility in the selection of esports titles in collaboration with the OCA. From the qualifying rounds to the grand finals of each esports event, rest assured that the OCA and AESF, together with LOC will work hand-in-hand, ensuring successful esports events for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.”

Mr. Sebastian Lau of AESF further conveyed his gratitude during the ceremony, “As the Asian Federation, the AESF is honoured to be organizing the esports qualifiers and the Technical Delegate for the upcoming Asian Games. We will start from Hangzhou, and I am looking forward to exploring more opportunities together with all of you and make the evolution of esports further in Nagoya 2026, Doha 2030 and beyond.”

More than just an Esports event, the ‘Road to Asian Games’ and finals at the 19th Asian Games exhibits the growth of Esports from competitive gaming event to an official sport event and the AESF, with the full support of OCA and LOC, will assure the most competitive and extraordinary esports event to date.

Road to Asian Games Partnership Summary

Esports Event Title Selection
AESF will select the esports event titles to be contested for the qualifiers and finals at the 2022 Asian Game and make the final confirmation on the selected titles in collaboration with the OCA.

Eligibility and Participating Teams
Leading up to the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the AESF is responsible for identifying the finalists for their respective esports event titles through regional qualifiers as part of the ‘Road to Asian Games’ competition campaign which will lead to the Final at 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Qualifiers and Finals
The AESF will form the qualifying and final tournament structure for all esports events and conduct the qualifiers for all participating Asian countries at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in collaboration with the OCA.

Community Outreach Programs
As part of the Asian Games community outreach, AESF will deliver and execute the AESF Experience Program with full support from the OCA. Aiming to connect with the esports community and fans alike, this program also aims to deliver the best Esports experience while also attracting new esports fans.

National Qualifier for 12th World Championship concluded successfully by NESA

Posted on by nesa in Events, IESF

Nepal E-Sports Association (NESA) successfully concluded the National Qualifier for 12th World Championship, Eilat 2020. Esports world championship is organized by International Esports Association (IESF) every year to promote esports. This year’s world championship is hosted by Eilat, Israel.

Due to COVID-19 situation this year’s qualification was held online from 9th  September  to 19th September 2020. The qualifier included three titles Dota2, PES and Tekken and the event was streamed on the social media page (facebook) of NESA. Technical support was provided by WASD Arena and Touch Studio.

myRevenge Team (Sumit Shrestha, Abhinav Shakya, Irin Rai, Atush Pant and Sharnup Tandukar) qualified to represent Nepal for regional qualification, similarly Aysuh Ranjit and Sameer Gurung were qualified for PES and Tekken respectively. In regional qualification they will compete with participants from Southern Asia Region countries Sri Lanka, Indian and Maldives.

IESF ANNOUNCES EXPANDED FORMAT FOR THE 2020 ESPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted on by nesa in IESF, News
In light of CoVID-19 and the challenges the world faces today, IESF announces a new plan for its World Championship to demonstrate Esports can lead the way for Sports to be played safely from home.

The International Esports Federation (IESF), along with the Israeli Esports Association (IESA) and Maccabi World Union, is excited to announce new plans for the 12th IESF Esports World Championship!

The challenges posed by COVID-19 continue to be substantial. Humanity has had to adapt in one way or another, often making sacrifices to ensure the continued safety and health of our communities.

IESF believes with enthusiasm that international Esports competitions are able to lead the way as the only sport able to host competitions even during these new times facing these new challenges.

IESF is excited to announce the following expansions to the Esports World Championship format for 2020:

  • Beginning in July and running through September, IESF National Members will host their national team selection process, to determine the identity of the players representing them in the IESF World Championship.
  • In October running through November, IESF and the World ChampionshipLocal Organizing Committee (LOC) will host a regional competition online to narrow the international field to a select group of each region’s best. The IESF 2020 World Championship Global Finals in Eilat, Israel, is scheduled to take place in December. The world’s best players will compete on a live stage to determine the 2020 World Champions.

“We are super excited to host this year’s world championship finals in Israel,” says Ido Brosh, President of the World Championship Local Organizing Committee, “In light of the circumstances, I believe that our new plan will present the triumph of Esports and human spirit even in hard times where we are physically restricted.”

While the Final Stage in Israel is scheduled for December, IESF and the Local Organizing Committee will keep track of international and local restrictions and may change the dates to ensure the safety and health of all participants.

As was previously announced, the IESF 12th Esports World Championship in Israel will feature Tekken 7, eFootball PES series and DOTA 2 as official titles. More competitions may be added.

For more information, follow IESF social media and visit the World Championship official website at https://iesfwc.com

AESF’s latest partnership to recognise and boost Coventry University’s expertise in Esports management

Posted on by nesa in News

The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) is proud to announce its strategic partnership with Coventry University which aims to enhance the institution’s expertise in a growing area of sports management.

Left to Right: Crystal Zhang, SMM Associate Head for Global Engagement; Danielle Talbot, SMM Acting Head of School; Sebastian Lau, AESF Director General; Steve Kim, AESF Chief Operations Officer.

The partnership will further research collaboration and provide students enrolled on Coventry University’s Sport Management and other relevant courses with opportunities in a dynamic new industry.

The AESF and Coventry University will also be looking to create more student experiences, including potential internship programmes and the production of case studies on Esports. Last but not least, the meeting between both parties discussed more opportunities for course development, which includes introductory sessions on Esports and support in the development of course topics for the curriculum.

The main areas covered by the partnership are:

  • Key speakers from the esports industry will be invited to the Coventry-AESF Webinar series, with the first taking place in July, led by Sebastian Lau, AESF Director General.
  • Research collaboration, with industry and academia collaborating on a variety of areas of interest, such as governance, gambling, and social responsibility in esports. 
  • Enhancing student experience, with Coventry Business School students accessing field trips to AESF events, work experience opportunities with AESF, and Collaborative Online International Learning with AESF and its members.
  • Future course development, where Coventry Business School can use the expertise of AESF to embed esports more fully into our sport management courses, helping attract students from across the world interested in this rapidly growing area of sport, while AESF can work with Coventry Business School academics to develop sports management CPD courses for its member federations.

Commenting on this milestone; 

Sebastian Lau, AESF Director General, said: “Coventry University’s expertise in sports management and business studies will help further support our member associations, players, and officials in developing content around the education of esports. This collaboration not only signifies AESF’s continuous effort in supporting this industry, but it also reflects Coventry University’s dedication and commitment to adapting and keeping up with the times.”

Mr Lau, who is also a Coventry University alumnus, has been invited to join the School of Marketing and Management (SMM) Business Advisory Group within the university’s Faculty of Business and Law. The group advises the school in terms of course design, up-to-date industry knowledge and helps it to maintain industry connections.

Dr Simon Gérard, Course Director, MSc Sport Management, Coventry University, said: “We are proud to lay down the foundation of a long-lasting partnership with the AESF, that offers tremendous opportunities in terms of students’ experience. This agreement will also foster the development of impactful, multi-disciplinary research on this fast-changing and growing sector.”

Dr David Pilsbury, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International Development) said: “We are delighted to have reached this key milestone in developing this crucial partnership for the university. We understand the importance of esports globally and in Asia particularly and are delighted at the opportunity to work with the AESF to support the athletes, players, officials and associations who make up this vibrant community as it continues its rapid growth and innovation.”

Kenneth Fok, AESF President, said: “I would like to celebrate this close relationship we are forming with Coventry University, one of the UK’s most esteemed educational institutions. Not only does it benefit the AESF and our member associations, but it also opens the doors to many more potential partnerships from academia going forward. This will not only be beneficial to our athletes but also various stakeholders in this industry. We look forward to supporting our esports community as well as future talents for their growth and further development in collaboration with Coventry University.”

Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) is the sole governing body of Esports in the Asian region which is recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Following the tremendous growth of Esports over the years – with Esports becoming an official medal event at the 2007, 2009 Asian Indoor Games and the 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, along with the recent implementation of Esports as a demonstration game at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the AESF also successfully staged Esports at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and the 2019 Southeast Games in Manila. The momentum continues as Esports will feature at the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand as an official medal event. Following the launch of the planned ‘AESF e-Masters’ series the AESF will soon introduce two more circuits; the ‘AESF University Championship’ and ‘AESF Amateur League’ to cater for the Esports community in Asia.

For more information on the AESF, you can visit www.aesf.com or contact the respective media office at secretariat@aesf.com.

IESF Announces First Titles for 12th Esports World Championship

Posted on by nesa in News

IESF is very pleased to announce that eFootball PES series, Tekken 7 and DOTA 2 are the first titles announced for the 12th Esports World Championship in Eilat, Israel.

KONAMI’s eFootball PES series will return for its second year as an official game title at the Esports World Championship. With its long history of international appeal, eFootball PES series is a natural choice for international Esports competitions.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment’s Tekken 7 will also return to the IESF Esports World Championship. The popular 1:1 fighting game was first released in 1994At the 11th Esports World Championship in Seoul, world-famous Korean Tekken athlete “Knee” won the gold medal for South Korea.

DOTA 2, developed and published by Valve Corporation, is one of the most popular Esports titles in recent years. Played in matches by two teams of five players, the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game enjoys enormous global Esports following.  Sweden was the gold medal champion at the 11th Esports World Championship in Seoul with a team that included gamers “Chessie”, “Xibbe”, “Charlie”, “EGM”, and “s4”. 

IESF President, Colin Webster, stated, “It would be an honor to have the defending world champions for eFootball PES series, Tekken 7 and DOTA 2 attend IESF’s 12th World Championships. IESF’s 12th World Championships to be held in Eilat in November 2020 promises to be the most well-produced world championships ever. Without doubt, such World Championships is the jewel in the crown.”

Colin then added, “Special thanks must be extended to the publishers of the titles for the use of such titles. Without the continued support of the publishers, Esports would not be the most vibrant sport in the world.”

IESF is looking forward to seeing all the world’s best national teams represent their countries in these titles and more at IESF’s 12th Esports World Championship in Eilat, Israel.

For more information, please visit IESF social media channel and the official event website: https://iesfwc.com

IESF Launches International Esports Referee Academy

Posted on by nesa in News

International Esports Federation (IESF) is pleased to announce that International Esports Referee Academy is ready to become fully operational. The first session of the course is scheduled to begin Monday, February 24th, 2020.

International Esports Referee Academy is one of the three pillars of the Global Esports R&D Center, located in Busan, South Korea. With the continued support of the City of Busan and the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA), the Global Esports R&D Center has been working to strengthen the Esports ecosystem and foster the evolution of the industry since 2018.

International Esports Referee Academy is dedicated to the development of standards and intensive curriculum designed to educate and increase the expertise of national and international Esports referees. This is done in order to support the integrity of Esports, and to contribute to the success of athletes, teams, and events on the world stage.

The curriculum has been developed by the IESF together with game publishers in an effort to ensure that it meets the highest standards. “Referees are the front-line of all of our member federations,” says IESF President Colin Webster, “as such, the IESF is committed to capacitating referees to the best of its ability to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of Esports.”

The course will also be made available to National Federations (NFs) for use in training referees for national competitions. This will be especially useful in emerging Esports markets, where the course will serve to legitimize national curriculum, and even provide an additional revenue stream.

Candidates for IESF’s International Esports Referee program shall be nominated by member federations. Such member federations will nominate their best and their brightest. Member National Federations have until Wednesday, February 12th to make their nominations.

IESF welcomes all interested referees to participate! For more information, please contact IESF through our website or social media channels.

47 NATIONS REPRESENTING NATIONAL PASSION FOR ESPORTS

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  • 47 Nations to participate
  • Official Event Venue:  VSG Arena, Seoul

The International Esports Federation (IESF) hereby announces the final participants of the 11th Esports World Championship (WC). A total of 47 nations worldwide will gather in Seoul, Korea, to compete in three official titles, representing their country and passion for esports.

  • DOTA 2 (Team Title) – 21 Nations
  • eFootball PES 2020 (Individual Title) – 33 Nations
  • Tekken 7 (Individual Title) – 34 Nations

The 2019 WC will be held through December 11th -15th. As the largest international esports tournament where athletes represent their country, IESF’s 11th WC Seoul is confident and ready to host all esports athletes from around the world

For more information on the 11th Esports World Championship Seoul 2019, please visit https://www.ie-sf.org/tournaments/.

IESF SIGNS MOU WITH MOTIVATE MEDIA GROUP

Posted on by nesa in News

The world’s fastest-growing sports sector, Esports, has expanded its global footprint with the announcement of a strategic partnership that will see its operations make significant headway in the Middle East.

The new agreement – a joint venture between the International Esports Federation (IESF) and one of the region’s most established media companies, Motivate Media Group – comes ahead of the launch of a world-class annual Esports industry summit and consumer exhibition event in Dubai in 2020.

Endorsed by the IESF, Dubai Sports Council, and Emirates Esports Association, the event will be a celebration of Dubai’s journey as a global destination hub for Esports organizations and industry leaders, thinkers, influencers and gaming enthusiasts.

Esports is the fastest-growing sports category globally with more than 300 million gamers in the Middle East alone.

Colin Webster, President of the IESF and Ian Fairservice, Founder and Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, signed an MoU establishing a joint venture that introduces the most significant initiative of its kind for Esports in the region.

‘IESF is really excited to be collaborating with Motivate to establish a number of world-class Esports products that represents an important step in supporting Esports growth in the UAE, the Middle East and globally,’ says Mr Webster.

‘The potential for Esports in the Middle East is now being realised. ‘A national strategy is required to establish and house this remarkable ecosystem, Dubai is an amazing city and Motivate Media Group, celebrating its 40th year, is a perfect partner that can help support this vision.’

Mr Fairservice concurred: ‘With the evolution of technology and the ongoing emergence of all forms of sport as a cultural and entertainment touchstone in society, there is no better time to launch an initiative that embraces this convergence.’

‘We see the future in Esports as being one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding platforms in new media and are thrilled to be partnering with a leading institution such as the IESF to develop this in the Middle East.’

Colin Webster added that the IESF is absolutely delighted to be attending another world first by Dubai Sports Council.

‘Artificial Intelligence will have a considerable impact in all aspects of life, and sport is no exception. By providing thought leadership to AI in Sport, this will clearly help shape future policy and its applications for a better world. The UAE was one of the first countries, if not the first, to appoint an AI minister as part of its portfolio. HE Omar Al Olama is a remarkable person with such insight.’

‘The IESF looks forward to our continued collaboration with Dubai Sports Council for the betterment of sports and humankind.’

About IESF

The International Esports Federation (IESF), based in Busan, Korea, is a not-for-profit organization that works consistently to promote Esports as a true sport which transcends language, gender, race and cultural barriers. Established in 2008, with nine founding nations, its membership has now expanded to over 56 countries.

The IESF has established robust policies that ensure the welfare of its participants, whilst protecting the integrity of Esports.

Structurally, it comprises a board, members of whom usually serve a four-year term and are duly elected by member federations.

Other initiatives that IESF has developed for the betterment of Esports include an annual Esports World Championship, which is in its 11th edition, and a Global Esports Executive Summit (GEES) which was launched four years ago.

The 11th World Esports Championship (2019) will be held from 11-15 December 2019 in Seoul where more than 45 nations are expected to compete.

As an international federation for Esports, the IESF’s obligations include hosting international Esports tournaments, expanding the range of member nations, and establishing standards for referees, players, certifications, titles and competitions.

About Motivate Media Group

Motivate Publishing was founded in 1979 by Ian Fairservice and, together with his partner HE Obaid bin Humaid Al Tayer, the United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Financial Affairs, has developed the company to become one of the most successful media groups in the region. Motivate Media Group has more than 25 editorial titles across print and digital, and a diverse range of contract publishing, as well as a celebrated books division, content provision services, events management, diverse international joint ventures and leading cinema advertising business, Motivate Val Morgan. www.motivate.ae

Contact

White Wolf Strategies

david@whitewolfconsultancy.com

+971 50 6180 752 (WhatsApp)

NATIONS CUP (INTERNATIONAL ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP)

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Today on 05th November, Shri Piyush Goyal Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, in a major boost to Indian esports, gaming and AVGC industry declared open the Nations Cup (International Esports Championship) to be held at Global Exhibition on Services 2019 in Bengaluru and unveiled the Trophy for Nations Cup during the curtain raiser event for GES 2019 held at ITC Maurya, New Delhi.

During his launch address to the audience including Mr. Jagdish Shettar – Hon’ble Minister of Large & Medium Scale Industries Government of Karnataka and Diplomats from various Embassies he quoted “I was very delighted to hear the report which was shared in terms of the efforts to bring Animation & Esports into the country, this is the new age world that India needs to engage with..”

SEPC will be organizing Nations Cup (International Esports Championship) in association with Electronic Sports Federation of India (ESFI) during the Global Exhibition on Services which is being held from 26th-28th November 2019. The Nations Cup will be one of the key highlights during GES and this being held at such a high profile services event will open up multiple avenues for the services industry particularly esports, gaming, animation etc.

The Nations Cup will have two legs, Day one will have the India Qualifiers & Day two onwards eight esports teams from different National Esports Federation’s representing respective countries will compete at the Nations Cup. Winner of India Qualifiers will represent India at the Nations Cup.  Seven esports teams have been invited from different countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Korea etc. Winning Nation’s Esports Team will take home the “Nations Cup” Trophy.

As part of the Champion Sector under SEPC for Culture & Sports, there will be B2B meetings also aligned for the Indian Esports Companies and Video Game Developers.

Global Exhibition on Services (GES), the 5th edition of Global Exhibition on Services (GES) 2019 is being organized and supported by Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India in partnership with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from 26-28 November 2019 at the Palace Grounds, Bengaluru, Karnataka. This event is expected to have participation from about 100 countries and will host focused knowledge sessions and a large number of B2B B2G and B2C meetings. The upcoming GES 2019 will provide a platform for forging sustained partnerships amongst countries in the identified champion and focus services sectors. These include Cultural and Sports, Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical Value Travel, Accounting and Finance Services, Legal Services, Infrastructure, Construction and Related Engineering Services, Environmental Services, Environmental services, Telecommunication services, Facility Management services, Intellectual Property Rights, Recreational, , Legal Services, Printing & Publishing, Aviation and space. 

The GES 2018 was a collective success with participation from about 100 countries, 500 overseas delegates, over 628 exhibitors and more than 7000 structured B2B Meetings. At this edition, the Hon’ble President of India formally launched the 12 Champion Services Sector.

Video Games Industry in India

 India is emerging as a leader in esports and video gaming, a growing field that has fascinated the interest of millennials like never before. The Indian digital gaming industry is growing rapidly due to smart phone penetration and cheap Internet.

Currently, India stands at a global number 17 in the soon-to-be USD 1.5 billion video games industry. Estimated to be about $818 million, the Indian video games sector while vastly unstructured, is growing rapidly. The number of online gamers has increased from 20 million in 2010 to 250 million in 2018, whereas the number of game developing companies has grown from 25 in 2010 to 250 in 2018. India won a Bronze Medal in for esports in Asian Games 2018.

THE NOMINEES FOR THE BOARD ARE IN

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International Esports Federation (IESF) has made the call for nominations, and the membership have responded with stellar nominations.

IESF’s Board consists of one President, one Vice President, four Board Members and the Secretary General. The Chairperson of the Players’ Commission also sits on the Board in order to represent the rights and concerns of the Players. The Secretary General does not have a vote and provides the all important link between the elected Board Members and the Secretariat.

Only once the elections have elected the five nominees, does the Board sit immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) to elect the Vice-President.

After such election, Board Members then divide up among themselves the various portfolios for which they will be accountable and responsible.

IESF is confident that every single person nominated for the Board is of the Stature and of the ilk required to steer IESF towards greater things and deliver to the community which it serves.

The full list of nominations received are as follows:

# Name (Nation)
1 Eddy, Che Chien Lim (Indonesia)
2 Ido Brosh (Israel)
3 Magnus Jonsson (Sweden)
4 Ramil Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
5 Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al-Nahyan (U.A.E.)
6 Young Man Kim (South Korea)
7 Hourieh Nikdast (Iran)
8 Vlad Marinescu (USA.)
9 Hana, Pei-Ching Hsu (Chinese Taipei)
10 Boban Totovski (Macedonia)

IESF President, Colin Webster, has already congratulated each nominee on being so nominated and is confident that the General Meeting will return the most deserving nominee as a Board Member.