Let the games begin!

Winter Paralympics 2022

The snow has barely just settled in Beijing after the incredible feats of the winter Olympians last month and more action is about to begin. If you got swept away with the curling, were shouting at the TV at the ice hockey as a crazed fan or were inspired to swap your next beach holiday for a ski resort, then get prepared for the new set of superhumans set to take the wintery mountains by storm this month at the Winter Paralympics.

Let’s take a look at the 6 sports set to wow us this March. Firstly, we have Para ice hockey which is played on a seated sled with the players using their specially adapted hockey sticks that have grips to help them navigate the ice, as well as hit the puck. You will be pleased to hear that Para ice hockey is just as fearsomely filled with all the dramatic crashes and falls we all love. The USA is the most decorated country in this sport and is definitely the team to watch.

Secondly, we have wheelchair curling. Everyone’s favourite surprisingly addictive and gripping sport, even more precision is needed during the throw here as there is no sweeping involved to help control the path of the stone into the target called the “house”. China are the reigning champions and hope to defend their title on home ice.

For all you speed and adrenaline lovers out there, next we have Para alpine skiing. The athletes are divided into three categories: sitting, standing and vision impaired where the athlete is aided by a guide who uses a headset to communicate with the athlete.

If you have the stamina, then you can sit back and watch the Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon where athletes with physical impairments ski either standing or sitting, as well as athletes with visual impairments, race over long distances. The Para biathlon combines cross-country skiing with shooting, inspired by the traditions of early Scandinavians. For the visually impaired athletes, they aim by using a rifle which makes a sound to help them aim. The target is only 21mm in size and they must aim from 10m away!

Finally, we have Para snowboarding, which made its debut in the Paralympics in 2014. The boards used are adapted to the needs of each athlete with most using bindings on their feet to keep them on the board or a special leg prosthesis. It is an extremely exciting watch with the four-athlete race called snowboard cross often ending in dramatic finishes on the line. Keith Gabel from the USA is a favourite for a medal, he is a pioneer of the sport, being a world champion and claiming a bronze and a silver in the previous two games. Will he top the podium the third time around?

ESL Pro League

On your marks…Get set….CS:GO! It’s that time of year again as ESL Pro League 15 finals take place in Malta, in what are the first such finals to be played offline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and things are set to kick off in style with a whole host of crunch clashes in Group A.

G2 Esports will no doubt fancy their chances of making it through to the playoffs after impressing at the Intel Extreme Masters XVI – Katowice recently, overcoming giants such as Natus Vincere and Virtus.Pro on their way to the final.

What’s more, the additions of exciting prodigy Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov and Aleksi “⁠Aleksib⁠” Virolainen to their ranks will no doubt imbue G2 with even more confidence in their abilities.

That being said, they’ll face stiff competition to make it out of the group in the shape of two of the biggest guns in CS:GO history, Fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas, who’ll both be eager to prove that they haven’t lost their winning edge.

Joining these 3 juggernauts will be MOUZ, Entropiq, and the Australian side, LookingForOrg. The latter, who were formed in the wake of Dire Wolves releasing their entire line-up, will be looking to make a name for themselves and get spotted by an esports organisation looking to sign them.

Will they throw a cat amongst the pigeons, or will David lose out to Goliath on this occasion?