Game on!

TO many youngsters, Poon Kok Sing – or more popularly known by his screen name OzoraVeki – is living the dream. For six days a week, the 19-year-old plays games with his teammates at their gaming house that's set up with living quarters, a coach and team manager, as well as a salary.
Poon is currently captain of the Kuala Lumpur Hunters – the only professional League of Legends team in Malaysia (at the time of writing) – which recently won The Legends Circuit (TLC) Winter 2015.
"I feel very lucky to be able to live the dream of doing what I love every day, while getting paid to do it," he enthused.
But Poon's achievement wasn't without struggle and sacrifice. Like all players, he started gaming for fun during his early teens. He soon realised that he was pretty good at it, and began taking part in tournaments at the expense of weekend classes in school.
"Later on, with my mother's permission, I switched to a different school which did not require weekend classes. Otherwise, I would have missed a lot of classes, or gotten suspended from school," he explained.
He was making a name for himself in cyber games, and during his final school year, Poon was invited to play professionally for the Kuala Lumpur Hunters, and eventually elected as team captain.
"In mid-2015, the former team captain left and I took over his role. It wasn't an easy transition because his role and mine were completely different, but thanks to the team's cooperation, we managed to pull through with victory," shared Poon.
How did your parents react upon your decision to pursue a career in eSports?
My mother was actually really supportive about it. She made me promise to pass my SPM exams beforehand, which I did because it was a pretty fair trade.
What is it like to train for eSports?
Our training is conducted in the game itself, to hone our gameplay skills and strategy. These trainings also comprise teamwork exercises because winning requires team effort. To keep ourselves less sedentary, we play badminton once a week as it also helps keep our reflexes sharp.
Was your team confident going into the TLC Winter playoffs?
Yes, we were. As professional players, we were expected to win. What gave me extra motivation was the fact that our excaptain was playing in the opposing team.
It must have felt pretty good to win! Is this pretty much how you feel every day?
Yes, it's an amazing feeling. When I wake up each day, I know that my day is going to be pretty fantastic – because I get to do what I love most! It has made me a happier person.
What advice do you have for aspiring players?
I would say, play with a mindset to improve your gameplay, not to win. Learn to listen to others, be humble and also refrain from complaining. Patience, time and practice are what help an amateur player grow.
What's next for the Kuala Lumpur Hunters?
Since we won TLC Winter 2015, we will be representing Malaysia in the 2016 Garena Premier League. This time, we will be going against all the best professional teams in the South-East Asian region, so the pressure is definitely on.