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Introducing #DieHardBirdie, Sweden-based CS: GO senior world champ, and why he is promoting eSports gaming to the elderly, especially grandparents and parents.
For regular readers, he is known as one of the oldest eSports world champions. For avid fans of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), he is known as “DieHardBirdie” and dubbed as the fastest fingers in the West.
Get to know more about the 78-year-old world champion Abbe “DieHardBirdie” Borg as he dishes on his life experiences and being a trailblazer for playing eSports.
When did you start playing, Abbe?
DieHardBirdie: I played ping pong and Mario decades ago. I don’t remember exactly when that was.
What are some of the things you love and enjoy in playing video games? And counter-strike in particular?
DHB: I think it’s cool that nobody gets any serious injuries when playing video games. I mean, have you heard of anyone getting badly hurt in video gaming? It goes without saying that this sport has the lowest physical injury level. That’s one of the things I enjoy about it.
When I am playing Counter-strike I get a kick out of living in the world of military tactics and strategy which I don’t have the chance to do in real life. But beyond that, counter-strike offers a beautiful narrative that transcends the military and crosses over to life in general. We do not play the game of life so that we win as the world defines winning. We win because we keep playing it. Lose or win, we keep at it...and that’s where the joy comes in. When we do it for the heck of doing it and not for any ulterior motive. So in counter-strike, we should not be afraid to die many times. Maybe in real life that would be a metaphor for dying to self many times.
As an artist and an art lover who appreciates design, architecture, and the beauty of dance and form, this game provides excellent visual stimulation and aesthetic inspiration in these aspects. When I peep through the scope of the sniper rifle, machine gun, or pistol I experience the beauty and poetry in the perfect aim. Throwing the grenade or using the knife requires economy of movement and a sense of balance and agility.