WCG Grand Finals: Another Two Bites The Dust
September 25, 2007 by eddyhan
Yesterday, Chapree wrote about a disappointment when Forza (WCG Need for Speed: Carbon Champion) was denied his visa by the US Embassy.
Today the WCG contingent to Seattle suffered another blow as 2 more Malaysian representatives were denied of their visa as well.
Paul Yan Meng Choon; Local Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne Hero.
Paul Yan; the WarCraft 3: Frozen Throne champion for the WCG 2007 Malaysia was denied entry to the US due to certain reasons. Another local champion, Rinie a.k.a Si Jali was also denied entry due to the fact that he is “pursuing Medicine in Indonesia”.
Si Jali, FIFA Soccer 2007 Champion.
Both were not available for comment at the time when this post was written.
To date, 3 Malaysian representatives have had their journey ended early by the US Embassy.
What’s left of the Malaysian Contingent is still a question mark as part of Hybrid’s players are yet to go for their interview for visa application. Let’s hope and pray Hybrid players do not suffer the same fate.
twenty06’s Rm0.02 :
Since it’s going to be hard for anyone to re-apply for visas at the moment and for new candidates to secure an interview session might not be the best idea as well; how about sending our previous WCG 2004 champions to Seattle instead?
WCG Grand Final 2004 was held in San Francisco before and I’m sure our previous representatives have already acquired their visas for 5 to 10 years.
I would feel this is a better option than leaving the slot empty. Slots should be fully utilized rather than letting it go to waste.
But the question is, will the gaming community accept such decision? What are your dua sen?
Posted in Events, WCG Malaysia, World Cyber Games
Chapree
September 25th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
at least the Yanks should know about this. time to pull some Samsung muscle on them XD
September 25th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
WCG Grand Finals should organized in malaysia…and future WCG GF as well
September 25th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
San Francisco was in 2004.
And to get an interview required appromixately 1 week from d date of purchasing d resit…
And some of d visa is only for single re-entry permit. Meaning that can only use it once if im not mistaken..
So too bad there is ntg tht we can do now..
September 25th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
next time put wcg early so that players got enough time to make visa lo
September 25th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Agreed with Si_Jali, nothing can be done, The interview slots are all full, Earliest is October 2nd which is the date the Malaysian contingent is flying off. To get the 2004 champions to go will be difficult as well, That FMJ team and the FMJ team now is different and plus FMJ will be participating in the CGS. For other games I dont know, As for now Hybrid has 2/5 visas approved. Lets pray for rico, Jabronizs and bobo. Their fate will be knowned on thursday morning
September 25th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Well u c even if wcg is early it doesnt matter how many times u apply.. its abt changing ur status or situation into sumthg that they want(which is according to their fu*king law).. now tell me if u had a low salary job.. can u turn it into high salary in just a few weeks? nope i dun think so..
Well whteva it is let us pray n hope tht the others wont have any stuck up~
All d best to team Hybrid! ^^
September 25th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
crap man…i really pity u guys man..u all have done so much and deserve to be playing at the finals…i say don’t have it in US anymore ! so much trouble with visas !
N if there is a need of replacements i think it should be wcg07 runners up to be fair to them..but yea..its too late for visas for everything i suppose
September 25th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
*tuttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt*
September 25th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
2004 i think most of us get single entry only,except playerkiller and syck they both got 10 year’s visa O.O
September 25th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
My two cents:
Even if it’s possible to send past champions, I personally found it’s unfair as they are not the one who supposed to represent us this year. Apart from the line-up difference, some of them already retired like luige and Nigel.
I wonder if this incident will affect US’s chances to host future WCG Grand Finals. Although the visa problems doesn’t affect majority of the players, but ICM should give a thought or two about this.
September 25th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
It’s a stupid that the US Embassy shall deny digital sportsmen in competing in a WORLDWIDE cyber game tournament..its like telling our Malaysian sportsman that they can’t join the Olympics..
what’s even worst is that the organizer of WCG Malaysia didn’t do enough work to ensure the journey to US is confirmed..
I think we should blame the organizer more than the US embassy and boycott the next one to ensure the organizer and the goverment realise that we’re serious in competing and if nothing is done to upgrade the situation..only rich boys will get to go US and play!!
Chapree: When I spoke to Lisa of In2 yesterday, she mentioned that they and ICM Korea are now trying to solve this problem. Still, that doesn’t guarantee anything as it’s still 100% up to the embassy officials to approved the visa. In other words, even they cannot do anything.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
ya..i think WCG Malaysia should have had a hand with this embassy issue…any official word from them? probably knowing this mite cause problems..WCG Malaysia should have been done 2 months earlier like other nations..
September 25th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Believe me, we’ve done a LOT.
The U.S Embassy in Malaysia has been informed by the U.S Sports Commission themselves about the competition.
All necessary documents was sent directly from ICM Korea. ICM themselves have liaised with the U.S Embassy people but yet, this has nothing to do with whether they believe if there’s such competition or not. This has everything to do with whether they think you’re going to go there, and not come back.
They are AWARE of the Grand Finals, and that we will be sending people over to compete. They do also know that these people are going there for the competition. But U.S is very strict of people going there as many did not return after going over.
“According to U.S. immigration law, the burden of proof is upon the applicant to overcome Section 214(b), which presumes that every visa applicant is an intending immigrant until they can prove otherwise.”
Source: https://www.vfs-usa-my.com/ApplnForms/refusal.aspx
And that is why they give you reasons like salary too low and all. And there have been cases that people go there for all these reasons, and didn’t return to their own country, ended up being illegal immigrant and work there.
We have already informed ICM about this. I know some of you are angry, believe me, we’re just as angry.
And please do not make statements like this:
“what’s even worst is that the organizer of WCG Malaysia didn’t do enough work to ensure the journey to US is confirmed..”
without finding out the truth.
Thanks.
September 25th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
I tot its a free country .. lol
only Malaysia .. or other country as well like this … !
if all the asean country also same …..
BOYCOTT the Grand Finals …. XD
* Forza was rejected cause he is a “Terrorist” …
September 25th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
i think ur face more like osama facker
September 25th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
please lar with janggut u look alike ..
September 25th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
My personal opinion.
the organiser should not be blame solely..
As i know,to enter US isnt an easy thing these days..especially with the world trade centre attack few years back..they are more n more strict about giving visa out.
and yea junie is right..one of the reason US is so strict because “But U.S is very strict of people going there as many did not return after going over” …
Even all my frens who are going over there for studies didnt have a good time applying for visa…
so guys..lets hope for the best that can happen..not a time to blame anyone..solutions is more important now..
September 26th, 2007 at 12:33 am
As far as I know, the Indonesian team, none of them or most of them did not manage to apply for the visa as well.
I’d say it isn’t easy for most Muslim countries to get visa to the U.S.
September 26th, 2007 at 12:53 am
OK stop fighting, we have our winner.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2904/sildesvsforzaku1.jpg
Chapree: LOL, nice one! But plz, stop this nonsense. Try to look at the issue from their view, it’s not a laughing matter.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:00 am
wahahahahaha but now i laugh ady..prove my point wahahahahahahaha
September 26th, 2007 at 2:13 am
silldes the winner!!!
September 26th, 2007 at 2:27 am
sildes rulezZzZzZz
September 26th, 2007 at 2:56 am
As far as I’m concerned, Nobody can blame IN2 about not getting our visas. The only thing is that, Personally I feel the winners should be reimbursed with the cost of the flights and stay in Seattle, USA. This is because we have won the World Cyber Games Malaysia 2007 Qualifiers and for people like Paul Yan, Forza and Si_Jali, It isn’t fair for them to be carrying a mock cheque worth RMXX,XXX onn the podium and only receiving RMX,XXX worth of cash + prizes.
If i’m not wrong in the past year 2001, FMJ won the CPL Asia qualifiers and didnt manage to get their visas, That time the organiser was MYGO Solutions. MYGO paid FMJ the cost of the flight and accomadation still.
For a CS team, It is heartbreaking if 4/5 members get visas and we do not get the chance to go or be reimbursed for visa applications + the stuff we won and all.
Oh well just hope WCG wont be held in the US anymore :p
http://www.teamhybrid.com.my
September 26th, 2007 at 3:34 am
I am not a Terrorist ok .. that looks like a mamak fellow .. FORZA looks more like Osama .. and i wasn’t teaching the kid , how to shot ..
… Chapree — > nanti kau !
if cannot means cannot lar … after 9/11 they are too strict already ..
no more people like Forza in US .. so next year lar
so that means money refund for the winner is it ? Wow ! just imagine Hybrid RM 70,000 ..
.. , can i join Hybrid … i am very good using AK47 .. XD ,I be the substitute player …
Chapree: What? I’m not involved in any of this matter. *whistles away*
September 26th, 2007 at 3:50 am
sildes admitted he good on using AK47..terroooooooooooooo*tut*
September 26th, 2007 at 4:04 am
lets have the grand finals in malaysia…then ban the americans…the reason…they stay too long on our beaches…lolz
September 26th, 2007 at 8:11 am
@HybridStaiN:
I believe full reimbursement would be difficult. This is because every national organiser is required to pre-pay a couple of months advance in order to secure slots for game representative. The non-refundable payment to the grand final organiser includes players’ accommodation, food, transport, jackets etc. and constitutes the largest portion of the prize.
However, plane tickets are a different story cos it can only be booked and not bought. But how much refund would that be? That is the reason why I feel we should not waste the slots and send someone else to represent than to let it to waste.
On a side note: YOU GUYS NO NEED TO SLEEP WAN AH?
September 26th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I would suggest to at least try to reimburse the cash value of the return plane tickets and budgeted allowance meant for Seattle to the unfortunate representatives. Since replacements are already out of the question due to insufficient time to apply for the Visa.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Yes, there is no more time to even get replacements, The required process to even get a VISA INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT takes at least a week and the earliest slot is October 2nd. So replacements is out of the equation. What i’m trying to say is exactly what Gel thinks. I dont think its far for the winners to carry mock cheques on stage with such a big sum but in the end only getting a computer + RM1000 each. R.i.d.i.c.u.l.o.u.s.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I browsed through the WCG site and found this: -
http://my.worldcybergames.com/games4.asp
There is an “*” at this sentence:
Fully sponsored air ticket and accomodation to Seattle, U.S.A*
And when I checked what “*” means…
*Subject to approval by all relevant authorities. The above mentioned prize will be null and void if contestant fail to obtain all prerequisite approval and no form of compensation will be available to the affected contestants.
Any comments from the organisers?
September 27th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Yes i spoke to one of the organisers about the matter already, and yes she clearly told me about that. I dont feel that, winning is a big thing if all these type of things are denying us from going further with our hobby.
I dont understand why other countries can do it and in Malaysia they apply this type of rule. For an example when I attended the Electronic Sports World Cup 2006, India’s CS team only had 2/5 members attending because the other 3 couldn’t get their visas done, but their organisers still paid for their trip.
=[
September 27th, 2007 at 9:09 am
With that * in place, we have to admit that the case is closed already. The ultimate victims of the U.S. paranoia are the WCG.my winners whose winnings value are trimmed from RM16,000 to RM6,000.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
OI WHO CURI MY CELGAMES PIC AH!!!!!