Substitutions for Wuhan Dragon

Posted by: gypsy

Visa complications lead to player substitutions for upcoming matches in Los Angeles;
Counter-Strike squad and Forza 2 racer from Singapore Sword team will substitute

LOS ANGELES – June 24, 2008 – Championship Gaming Series™ (CGS) today announced Tom Leong is replacing Chao Ma as the General Manager for Wuhan Dragon effective immediately.

The Wuhan Dragon team is scheduled to play in the championship match of the 2008 Pan-Asia Final and the 2008 World Final in Los Angeles in July. Due to visa complications for the Wuhan Dragon Counter-Strike: Source squad and one of the Forza Motorsport 2 racers, these members of the Wuhan Dragon will be unable to travel to the United States to compete and will be replaced by the Counter-Strike: Source squad and one of the Forza Motorsport 2 racers from the Singapore Sword team that competed at the recent 2008 Pan Asia Championships in Wuhan, China.

The Sword players in question were selected as the result of strong performances at the recent Pan-Asia Final event in Wuhan, China from April 28 to May 3. The remaining four players on the Dragon starting roster were able to secure visas to enter the United States and will compete in the upcoming events alongside the six replacement players from Singapore Sword, under the supervision and direction of new General Manager Tom Leong.

The league deeply regrets the inability of six Wuhan Dragon starters to participate in this season’s CGS World Final and is greatly looking forward to the participation of those players who will be able to travel from China to the United States in July. In the spirit of cooperation between all players, the substitute players from Singapore Sword will share all prize money won at the 2008 World Final with the Wuhan Dragon starters who battled to earn a spot in the World Final for the Wuhan Dragon team. More than $1,000,000 is on the line in 2008 World Final prize money, with $500,000 slated for the winning team.

“We are deeply disappointed that some of the starters for the Wuhan Dragon team are unable to travel to the United States next month to compete in the 2008 World Final,” said Andy Reif, CGS Commissioner. “We are grateful and honored that the remaining players are still available to compete, and, with new General Manager Tom Leong at the helm, we are confident that the Wuhan Dragon will be a true contender in the competitions this summer.”

The Wuhan Dragon players who are unable to travel to the United States remain starters on the official team roster and will reunite with their teammates following the 2008 CGS World Final to train in Wuhan at the world’s first permanent eSports arena and training center, which opened in May.

New Wuhan Dragon GM Tom Leong has specialized in e-sports services for live events and online services in China and currently resides in Wuhan with his wife, Sun. Previously, Leong served in the elite Commando and Air Force unit of the Singapore Army until 1991, and, for the past 15 years, has worked within the private sector for IT, telecom, television and educational organizations.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to step up and serve as GM for Wuhan Dragon,” Leong said. “I will be working in these coming weeks to focus my players on the task at hand so that we can display the impressive skills of Wuhan Dragon in Los Angeles this summer.”