Happy grannies are new eSports stars
Two elderly women showed up at an eSports event in Shanghai last month, not to cheer but to compete.
Wang Wenfang, known as Granny Kai Xin (happy), swiped fingers on a smartphone with a rhythmic click-clack. She sat in the center of the game stage at a Shanghai mall, eliciting smiles and cheers from over 1,000 people.
Wang, 70, has discovered a game world full of opportunities since her retirement. The DreamStar Tournament invited her to Shanghai.
“Playing games is a pleasurable adventure. It sharpens our minds and reflexes and keeps us up to date with the changing world,” said Wang, who refused to accept that since “I’m getting old, I can’t do anything anymore.”
She and her teammate Zhang Fengqin, also known as Granny Chang Le (always happy), a bank retiree, fit in nicely at the eSports site, which resembled a gaming carnival. They smiled and gestured in response to greetings from spectators, many of them dozen years younger than them.
“I worked on criminal cases, which required me to be rigorous and meticulous,” Granny Kai Xin explained. “Therefore, when playing games, I would think about the object and the way to achieve it and the equipment I need to improve my performance more efficiently.”
The bright maps, the complicated puzzles, and the excitement of outwitting opponents all triggered something unexpected, she said.
Her gaming experience began around two years ago in a nursing home in Henan’s Xuchang City. She and her friends formed an eSports team of the elderly, with the help of a senior-care center.
“We are not waiting to be looked after; rather, we are enjoying the golden age. ESports is a platform that makes us happy,” the grannies said.
Lin Huo, the nursing home’s manager, assisted in the formation of the eSports team by providing professional gaming equipment, seating, and account setup.
The 26-year-old Lin connected the elderly population with the young generation’s favorite games. He aired the special eSports squad, which drew notice from netizens and media.
“Grannies become energetic and excited when they touch games, just like young players,” Lin told Shanghai Daily.