Central America
USA Basketball E-National Team Wins FIBA Esports Open North and Central America Conference Championship
The 2020 USA Basketball E-National Team (7-1) earned a pair of hard-fought victories in the best-of-three grand finals to claim the series 2-0 lead over Dominican Republic (5-3) and earn the inaugural FIBA Esports Open II North and Central America Conference championship on Sunday evening. The USA rallied back from a 12-0 deficit to earn a 48-45 victory in the first game of the Finals and held off the Dominicans in the second game 60-56.
USA team captain JBM (John ‘Jack’ Mascone/Wizards District Gaming) earned conference MVP honors after averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 assists in the two finals games.
“There’s not really a word to put on it,” said the MVP about how it felt to win the championship. “To carry USA Basketball’s reputation and to win, to win those nail-biters, to fight after losing that first game, these guys really had my back. I was super demoralized after that first game and all six of my teammates brought an energy that I didn’t have after that game. We were able to carry on and this is awesome. This is what it’s about. This is what we practiced for, it’s been a month that went into this – preparing the team, getting closer to each other and to be resilient like that. It’s all been worth it.”
In addition to JBM, the seven-member USA E-National Team included: ALittleLady87 (Wendi Fleming/BallHerAlert); Crush (Rafel Davis/Kings Guard Gaming); Kenny Got Work (Kenneth Hailey/Raptors Uprising GC) OriginalMalik (Malik Hobson/Knicks Gaming); Ramo (Ramo Radoncic/Pistons GT); and Ria (Spencer Wyman/Jazz Gaming).
Dominican Republic raced out to a 12-0 lead in the first game, but the U.S. rallied and trailed 29-21 at the half and 36-31 heading into the fourth quarter. JBM, who scored eight points through the first three periods, knocked down 10 points in the fourth quarter, including eight-straight to put the red, white and blue up by three, 44-41. The islanders hit back-to-back buckets to pull ahead 45-44 with 36 seconds remaining. However, after the U.S. put up two points with 20.4 left on the clock, Ria calmly stepped to the line to virtually ice the 48-45 victory with a pair of free throws. The Dominicans were unable to score over the final 13 seconds, and the U.S. held on for the win.
JBM finished with a game-high of 18 points and six assists, Ramo netted 17 points and Ria scored eight points and hauled in a game-best 10 rebounds.
“I’m pretty sure that I can speak on behalf of our entire team that the best moment was definitely the finals,” declared Ramo. “Every game against the D.R., the intensity stepped up. I could hear everyone’s attention after every single play, you just feel it. One stop, next play, one stop, next play, everybody’s hyped and talking every single play. Honestly, I can’t wait to have that gold medal around my neck.”
The second contest was equally as hard fought, with the USA owning a 16-13 edge at the end of the first quarter. A 10-0 burst from the Dominicans to open the second quarter helped launch the opponents to a 32-26 halftime lead. After the Dominicans hit a 3 to start the second half, the USA hit four 3s in a 14-2 run to go back up, 40-37. From there, the teams traded baskets, and a 3-pointer by KennyGotWork at the buzzer lifted the North Americans to 48-46 heading into the final period. The U.S. went up by four points, 52-48, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but the Dominicans rallied back with eight-consecutive points and with 1:10 remaining in the game, led 56-52. Eleven seconds later, Ria made a traditional three-point play followed by a defensive stop on the other end and KennyGotWork netted a 3 to give the USA a 58-56 lead with 23 seconds to play. After a tied-up ball, the USA won the jump and Ria was fouled with less than 10 seconds to play. He again stepped to the line and swished in both of his attempts, and the USA closed out the game with the 60-56 victory.
In the second clash against Dominican Republic, JBM shot 7-of-10 from 3 point and finished with team-highs of 23 points and eight assists, KennyGotWork scored 21 points and Ria finished with a double-double of 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Earlier in the day, the USA sailed to a 121-15 victory over Costa Rica (1-5) to close out preliminary round play with a 5-1 slate. Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico also finished round-robin play with 5-1 records and based on FIBA’s tie-breaking formula, the Dominicans finished first, the USA in second and Puerto Rico was third in the standings.
“The game against Dominican Republic (the USA’s 60-57 overtime win on Saturday in the preliminary round), where we came back in overtime and Kenny hit those shots, that was probably one of my favorite moments,” remarked ALittleLady87. “And right now, with the championship.”
This tournament marked the second edition of the FIBA Esports Open, the first of which took place in June and included five conferences featuring 114 gamers from 17 national federations. The FIBA Esports Open II field expanded to 38 national teams in seven regional conferences.
Each national team consisted of up to seven players, five on the court and two reserves. Games were played remotely on NBA 2K21 using the Pro-AM mode and allowing for customization of gamer avatars and uniforms.
As was the case for the inaugural FIBA Esports Open, this entire series was produced from the FIBA Esports Studio in Riga, Latvia, with 54 hours of live content being streamed on FIBA’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels. Each game was available online with live commentary in English, as well as a daily show featuring up to 12 games.
21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, has strengthened its expansion by signing an agreement with platform provider Virtualsoft
21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, today announced a strategic agreement with prominent platform provider Virtualsoft, significantly strengthening its expansion across the region.
This collaboration will integrate 21VIRAL’s extensive portfolio of games into Virtualsoft’s platform, providing enhanced content options for operators across key Central and Latin American nations. Virtualsoft is a key supplier with a strong presence in markets including Ecuador and Peru, delivering innovative gaming solutions to a diverse range of operators.
Christoph Härtel, CEO of 21VIRAL, commented: “Partnering with Virtualsoft is a pivotal moment for 21VIRAL as we deepen our engagement with one of the world’s most rapidly advancing online gaming markets. Virtualsoft underpins numerous leading brands in the region, and integrating our GameConnector solution will allow swift access to their operational brands. We look forward to working closely with Virtualsoft’s talented team to deliver innovative and revenue driving gaming experiences.”
Alejandro Velez, General Manager at Virtualsoft, stated: “21VIRAL has a strong reputation for seamless integrations and profound expertise in the Latin American gaming market, making them an ideal partner for us. Together, we are streamlining operations and elevating the gaming experience for players, aiming to set new benchmarks for the industry.”
Hotel Las Americas is preparing to witness one of the most important events in the industry from April 9-11, when the GAT Expo opens its doors in one of the world’s paradisiacal destinations. As a platinum sponsor of the event, NOVOMATIC Gaming Colombia and executives of Group subsidiaries in Ecuador and Peru promise a first-class product portfolio where style, functionality, and design blend seamlessly.
Strategically located at the main entrance of the exhibition center, NOVOMATIC will be the epicenter of innovation and entertainment with its exclusive BLACK EDITION II series of cabinets combined with the new state-of-the-art Linked Progressive Jackpots: BLACK EDITION II 3.32 with NOVO LINE™ GOLDEN LINK™ Edition 1, the MASTER SL™ 3.32 with Superia GOLDEN LINK™ Volume 1 and the BLACK EDITION II 3.27 with IMPERA LINK™ Series 2.
NOVOMATIC will also be presenting the renowned DIAMOND X™ 2.32 in an elegant Black Metro finish with the Linked Progressive CASH CONNECTION™ Edition 4. Also on display will be the FUNMASTER 2.27 cabinet, known in the region for its exceptional price-performance ratio, showcased in combination with the Linked Progressive Superia GOLDEN LINK™ Volume 1 and the new NOVO LINE™ Interactive Edition X4 multi-game library.
Biometric technology improves the management of gaming arcades
Another highlight will be the innovative NOVOVISION™ management system. Launched with great success at the last event, this solution will once again impress visitors with its state-of-the-art gaming floor management and administration features, as well as its revolutionary biometric access and payment solutions. One more product showcase will be the 5-seat Optimum Roulette, designed with a compact approach to maximize entertainment on any floor without compromising the gaming experience.
“GAT Expo is celebrating its 25th anniversary and the event is a milestone in the Colombian market. We are very proud of the journey we have traveled so far, and we could not miss the opportunity to accompany the GAT team in this special edition,” says Manuel Del Sol, CEO of NOVOMATIC Gaming Colombia. “At NOVOMATIC we believe in building and improving the industry as a whole and that is why we actively participate in the trade shows. I take this opportunity to invite all operators and business partners to visit us at booth #A25!”
Don’t miss this unique experience at GAT Expo at Hotel Las Americas in Cartagena de Indias, where innovation and excitement come together to shape the future of gaming entertainment – book your appointments and join us from April 9-11, 2024!
Central America
Continent 8 Technologies expands with strategic sales professionals focusing on South/Central American markets
Sebastian Fernandez and Luana Monje join the global digital infrastructure provider to drive further strategic efforts in the region
Continent 8 Technologies continues to grow its global commercial team following the appointment of Sebastian Fernandez and Luana Monje as Sales Executives.
Sebastian will be based out of Buenos Aires in Argentina and joins Continent 8 from IT giant Dell Technologies, where he spent more than 12 years across several roles including a Senior Systems Engineer and most recently Account Executive.
Luana comes to Continent 8 from AWS (Amazon Web Services) where she held the role of Demand Generation Representative. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, she has a deep understanding of the region which has just passed legislation to legalise online sports betting and casino.
Both Sebastian and Luana will be responsible for nurturing relationships with Continent 8’s existing Latin American customers, helping them to maximise the potential of its solutions and services from cloud hosting and connectivity to layered cybersecurity.
They will also support new customers looking to make a move in the region, particularly Brazil which is expected to generate approximately $2.6bn per year (gross gaming revenue) by 2026 according to KPMG. Continent 8 will be live in Brazil to support customers with its full suite of solutions in the coming months.
Brian Koh, Chief Commercial Officer at Continent 8 Technologies, said: “I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Sebastian and Luana who join Continent 8 at a pivotal time for the LATAM gambling market.
“Latin America is a thriving market with a lot of latent potential, something that the opening of Brazil will help to unlock. We are well positioned to help customers looking to launch into this market, and Luana will undoubtedly play a significant role in ensuring they go live with the best infrastructure and security in place.”
Sebastian Fernandez, Sales Executive at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “I’m excited to be joining the Continent 8 team and to bring over a decade of IT experience to this role. This is an incredibly exciting region with huge potential on the table, but organisations must have the right infrastructure in place if they are to maximise the opportunity. This is something that Continent 8 is renowned for, and we look forward to working with businesses across the region.”
Luana Monje, Sales Executive at Continent 8 Technologies, added: “I couldn’t ask for a better start to the year. I look forward to sharing my AWS expertise and knowledge of the LatAm market with the team and of course our customers.”
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