Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has promised in a Facebook post to pump in $10 million to the Singapore esports over the next year.
He said the move was triggered by a letter published in The Strait Times, written by a reader named Juliana Foo. In the letter, Ms. Foo said she had found it “difficult to accept esports as a medal sport” at this year’s SEA Games. Incidentally, Razer is the official esports partner of SEA Games.
Singapore is represented by a group of esports athletes in games such as Dota 2, Starcraft and Hearthstone.
Foo had also said that “athletes rigorously, abide by a strict diet and hone their physical prowess” and that “gaming falls short in these aspects”.
Tan, in his post, said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support Razer has had from the Singaporean government and Singaporeans alike, and that he was “still a Singaporean citizen” despite having founded the company in the US.
He also referenced Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing’s comments in Parliament on 4 September, where the minister had shared several initiatives the government was taking to help the esports scene in Singapore.
Tan said his $10 million pledge for gaming and esports activities in Singapore will include “supporting esports teams in Singapore as well as investing in gaming/esports companies in Singapore or founded by Singaporean’s”.
“We are one of the largest esports brands in the world, and personally as a Singaporean, I’m looking forward to giving back and doing more for my country.”
By Niji Narayan
Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.