MEET THE DR BIRDZ...JAMAICA'S FIRST NATIONAL ESPORTS TEAM

Today marks the start of the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Cup of fighting games competition...EVOLUTION 2019. Today...also marks a landmark achievement in Jamaica's young foray onto the international fighting games esports scene. Today...the Dr Birdz finally takes flight ​as for the first time an official national team will be present to rep our beloved black, green and gold.

​Led by Andrew Johnson, the team looks to compete with the world's best in a majority of the main games at this year's EVO including Street Fighter 5, Mortal Kombat 11, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to name a few. 

The members of this historic Dr Birdz earned their spots on the team by topping the national ranking for each game respectfully. These rankings are finalized after the conclusion of various national esports events that are officially sanctioned by the national governing body of esports on the island, the JAMAICAN ESPORTS INITIATIVE (JEI).

Members of the JEI executive board (from left to right) Andrew Johnson, Ryan Moore & Gregory Moore

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​​It would be a massive achievement for any of the Dr Birdz to win a grand final, but just by competing, they already made me proud as a fellow Jamaican. Here's hoping that one day their debut will be celebrated as a major achievement in Jamaica's sporting history similar to the debut of the Reggae Girlz at this year's World Cup or Jamaica's Rugby team first qualification for the Rugby World Cup.

The future of the Dr. Birdz & esports in Jamaica looks bright

EVOLUTION 2019 will conclude on August 4th, two days shy of Jamaica's Independence day of celebration.

MORE ON THE JEI
The Jamaica Esports Initiative is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating innovative programs, hosting world-class events, developing social skills, fostering the development of eSport talents and laying the foundation for our youth to become engaged and recognized in the global eSport community. 
Source: https://jamaicaesports.org/

​MORE ON EVOLUTION 
The Evolution Championship Series (Evo for short) represents the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments in the world. Evo brings together the best of the best from around the world in a dazzling exhibition of skill and fun, as players and fans gather to honor the competitive spirit in an open format and determine a champion.
Source: http://evo.shoryuken.com/