Lenovo is sponsoring a "Counter-Strike" team that aims to compete in professional tournaments. While there are already many professional teams playing the hardcore first-person shooter, the unique thing about this one is that everyone is at least 60 years old.
Called the "Silver Snipers," the team is meant to widen the current demographic of e-Sports teams. Team member Monica Idenfors (62 years old) recalled how she first saw the ad calling for seniors. She thought that playing "Counter-Strike" might be a good way to pass her free time, being a recent retiree.
However, she and her teammates later found out that they only had three weeks to prepare for a major tournament. It should be noted that no one in the team has ever played "Counter-Strike" before.
According to their coach Tommy "Potti" Ingemarsson, who is a "Counter-Strike" veteran himself, the Silver Snipers took the challenge gladly
"They actually were really passionate about it," the coach said. They asked questions about the game and even printed out the keyboard layout for "Counter-Strike" controls so that they can memorize it. They even came up with nicknames for themselves.
Still, three weeks is a very short time to prepare, especially when up against competitors who have been playing the game for years. The Silver Snipers lost both their games at the Dreamhack Digital Festival, held in Sweden.
Three weeks of intense training was not for nothing, however. While they lost both matches, the Silver Snipers won two rounds. Wanja "Knitting Knight" Godange (63 years old) even managed to score a trio of headshots in one round.
The Silver Snipers have no plans of giving up— in fact, they plan to participate in more intense practice schedules next year. They will not be just focusing on "Counter-Strike," either. They will also try branching out onto other competitive video games.
