The Sports Association of Széchenyi István University (SZESE) has had an e-sports department since 2019, and the sport has been enjoying uninterrupted popularity among students ever since. Ádám Borkai, the Programme Manager of Uni Pro Sport Kft., which is owned by the institution, seeks out and helps talented young people to achieve better results. His mentoree, Balázs Vén recently won the football video game category of a prestigious international competition.

The Széchenyi István University offers a wide range of sporting opportunities for its students: in addition to its modern recreational sports park, the SZESE sports club has 13 departments for young people, including volleyball, handball, table tennis, judo and chess. In 2019, another sport was added to the list, with the creation of an e-sport department, with a room equipped with computers, consoles and high-end racing simulators, providing an excellent infrastructure for development.

Uni Pro Sport Kft., belonging to SZE, also aims to support the city's top sports. The company's patronage includes the men's handball team, the ice hockey team, the women's basketball team and the water polo team. Its newest area of activity is e-sports, of which Ádám Borkai is the Programme Manager. His task is to identify talented young players in Hungary, mentor them to achieve the best possible results, and guide them in their university career planning.

"As an experienced gamer and e-sports player, I constantly follow the competitions and the players in the various games, so I have up-to-date information on the young individuals who are doing well, including many high school students. "They can bring exceptional athletes into the mentoring program who may later continue their studies and careers at Széchenyi University," explained Ádám Borkai.

He said that his main focus is on the games that will be included in the e-Sports Olympics and World Championships. One of his first mentorees was Balázs Vén, who caught his attention because of his performance in the EA FC football video game and the high viewership of his streams. "We have been working together for about a year. During this time Balázs has made huge progress and recently won the T-Esports Championship, Telekom's own international championship," added the Programme Manager.

"In May, I won the National University EA FC '24 Championship at the MEFOB Fest in Győr, and from there I started a good streak. I also started confidently in the T-Esports international tournament in September and won the final in Budapest," said Balázs Vén. He stressed that his mentor helped him a lot in his understanding of the game, tactics and confidence. The 21-year-old from Solt, Bács-Kiskun county, said that in the future he would like to continue his studies at the Faculty of Business and Economics of Széchenyi István University, so that he can make the most of his e-sports career thanks to the infrastructure of the institution.

Balázs Vén e-sports player and Ádám Borkai, Programme Manager of Uni Pro Sport Kft., a member of Széchenyi István University, with the trophy of the international T-Esports Championship EA FC '24 football video game category (Photo: Máté Dudás)