Karting |08 October 2025
Seychelles Karting embraces Esports
- A new era in motorsport development
Seychelles Karting has been exploring the exciting world of Esports specifically Sim Racing, a rapidly growing discipline embraced globally by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as part of its mission to make motorsport more accessible and inclusive.
As a member of the FIA Esports Africa Working Group, the Seychelles Karting Association (SKA) has been working to understand and establish this new platform locally, creating opportunities for Seychellois drivers to represent their country in the digital motorsport arena.
To kick-start the initiative, SKA partnered with Battlegrounds Esports Seychelles, led by Freddy Malvina, whose expertise helped guide the Association through the early stages of the project. Together, they collaborated with Motorsport South Africa (MSA) and the SimMotorsport Association (SMA) to better understand the requirements of an ASN-level Esports programme.
After just a few months of preparation and local testing on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 7 platform, a group of eight local drivers began their journey in late August.
Under the mentorship of Robin Williams from SMA, the project quickly gained traction.
On Saturday, September 20, 2025, six Seychellois drivers proudly represented the country in the South Africa vs Seychelles Invitational Sim Racing Event, their first-ever international Esports appearance.
Competing against experienced South African racers, the team held their own, gaining valuable experience and exposure to high-level racing conditions.
Following the success of this debut, Seychelles Karting was officially invited to participate in the SMA Season 2 Road Rage Championship, an ongoing Sim Racing series featuring seven competitive tiers of 16 drivers each.
After seeding sessions in late September, Seychelles’ six drivers were placed across multiple tiers, with JPGaming10 earning a Tier 3 position, a remarkable achievement for a debut season. This marks the formation of the Seychelles Karting Team, the nation’s first officially recognised international Sim Racing team under the FIA Esports framework.
Their next race is scheduled for Monday, October 13 from 9pm and they will be streamed via Seychelles Karting Twitch Channel.
Round 1 took place on Monday October 6, with the team racing under the Seychelles banner in their respective tiers.
The project has opened a new chapter for the sport, positioning SKA as a pioneering federation in Seychelles to integrate Esports into its motorsport development pathway.
As Seychelles Karting continues to build this exciting programme, further updates and the official launch announcement will follow soon.
To follow the progress of Team Seychelles, tune in to our social media channels SeychellesKarting on Facebook and Instagram.
Contributed