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SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES: Chia, one of Singapore's top gamers, has been banned from the CGS for life, a move that effectively ends his gaming career. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
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ALL it took was one punch to deliver a knock-out blow to Singapore's hopes at a top regional cybergaming competition in China.
Singapore's virtual-gongfu ace Wilson 'Tetra' Chia, 26, has been sacked from the Singapore Swords team for hitting his team manager Aaron Aw, 28, on the left cheek after the Swords had lost a joust with a Chinese team from Wuhan on Thursday.
Mr Aw then had to take Chia's spot in the Dead Or Alive 4 gongfu game as the team had no reserve players.
With three games lost, one win and one game to go, Singapore - last year's champions in the pan-Asian leg of the Championship Gaming Series (CGS) - is almost certain to lose its title. The squad will also kiss goodbye the chance of moving on to the July world finals in Los Angeles and its US$1 million (S$1.4 million) prize.
Chia's meltdown took place at the gamers' lounge area at the Wuhan Optical Valley Electronic Sports Stadium in China, in front of Chinese reporters and other gamers.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Aw said the punch had come out of the blue. Chia had walked over to him suddenly, hit him and left without uttering a word.
'I was totally stunned,' he said.
When contacted, Chia admitted hitting Mr Aw and walking away, but said he had slapped Mr Aw, not punched him.
He said he had hit Mr Aw out of frustration, blaming the Swords' poor showing on what he called Mr Aw's lacklustre managerial skills.
Within an hour, the chief executive of the CGS Andy Reif had sacked Chia and banned him from the CGS for life, effectively ending the gaming career of Singapore's top pro-gamer. Chia was sent packing yesterday.
Another Swords member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, felt the team as a whole had been playing below par. 'Maybe the pressure was too much for Wilson, who has sacrificed a lot,' he added.
Chia quit his job earlier this year to focus on his game and paid for a training trip to Japan last month out of his own pocket. He is now thinking of starting an Internet business.
'I regret punching him in front of everyone,' he said.
The CGS is a professional gaming league. Players get between US$500 and US$3,500 a month.
ginlee@sph.com.sg
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