Game enough to try something new: e-sports give Hong Kong retirees fresh take on life and connection with young
- Senior Citizen Home Safety Association helps members take up unlikely hobby which can keep their minds active
At an e-sports tournament in Hong Kong’s D2 Place mall in Lai Chi Kok, players are locked in on the action on their computer screens, as they signal teammates decked out in headsets in a strategy to survive the “Battlegrounds”.
Amid the sound of gunfire and roaring explosions, it is easy to overlook the nature of some of the gamers as their hands blaze across mouse controls and keyboards – they are retirees in their 50s to 70s.
The eight unlikely players – fighting alongside younger peers – are members of Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, a charitable organisation. They have discovered a new hobby giving them a fresh take on life and a way to keep their minds active while connecting with young people.
“I’ve always thought gaming was only for boys, but now I know I can do it too,” says Ho Yuk-ling, an enthusiast who admits she is actually better at cheering on her teammates than playing on the field.
Ho, 56, is one of 15 members who have joined the association’s electronic sports programme, which started in June last year. Under the guidance of staff, the members have got familiar with two multiplayer online video games: Heroes of the Storm and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
