While the world waits with bated breath to see which countries will round out the quarter semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, the Grand Finals of another World Cup will kick off tomorrow. In one of Europe’s largest sporting venues, in Paris, qualifiying champions in the realm of competetive video gaming, a.k.a, e-sports, will meet for the 4th Annual Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC 2006).

The ESWC is based on the simple premise of bringing together to world’s best video game players once a year for an intense and entertaining event for participants and spectators.

Players from over 50 countires will play in one of the following World Cup “events”:

Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike (Womens)
Quake IV
Warcraft III
Trackmania Nations ESWC
Gran Turismo
Pro Evolution Soccer 5

To give you a sense of the importance of this event in legitimizing gaming as a true competitive sport, the ESWC writes of e-sports: “Nothing is down to chance in electronic sports. It is all a matter of reflexes, psychology, training, and the ability to merge into a digital world and feel its force.”