Netmarble hosts esports event for disabled students

Participants in the 2018 National e Festival Competitions for Students with Disabilities pose during an opening ceremony at the K Hotel Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Netmarble

By Baek Byung-yeul

The 2018 National e Festival Competitions for Students with Disabilities kicked off Tuesday with an aim to develop self-esteem and a sense of achievement in disabled students.

The event is co-organized by Korean game company Netmarble. In collaboration with the state-run National Institute for Special Education (NISE) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the country's leading game firm has hosted the esports competition for disabled students since 2009.

The esports competition is the largest-ever in the event's history, featuring 1,500 students who romped through preliminary rounds held in 17 cities from May 8 to July 20.

During the two-day competition at the K Hotel Seoul, student players will compete in 16 information technology contest events including coding, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. A total of 11 esports events that include Netmarble's baseball game “Magu Magu,” strategy game “Penta Strom” and board game “Everyone's Marble.”

“The National e Festival Competitions for Students with Disabilities has contributed to helping disabled students to develop their abilities in information technology,” Seo Jang-won, head of Netmarble Cultural Foundation, said during an opening speech.

Kim Eun-suk, general director of the NISE, said she expects the event would become a place for displaying disabled students' abilities in computer science.

“The event has cultivated many talented students. Like them, I hope participants to this year's event can nurture not only their abilities in computer science but also socially,” Kim said. I believe the event can help them to overcome possible obstacles in their lives.”

As the event has a motto of “festival with no discrimination and restriction,” the event also holds an esports competition between disabled students and non-disabled students as well.

The event organizer said this year's event features bowling and track and field events for students with severe or multiple disabilities. Those students can take part in the events wearing assist devices. To boost sportsmanship in participating student players, the organizer added there will be a fair play award for the first time.

For family members of the participating student players, there are various events to enjoy together. The event includes drone racing and robot football at IT Challenge Zone; virtual reality and augmented reality devices and arcade games.