Let's wind the clocks back to about a month or two. The year was nearing it's end and SC2 was just celebrating its first birthday. Many new names had popped up during the year and no-one could've been more happy about how SC2 had grown. We were ready for a cool and calm end to the year where the already established players simply had to look forward to facing each other in every single event that was left.
But then, a man with BlinG bigger than any others came to town.
Well, maybe not that big. But one thing was for certain, the BlinG Samayan Kay brought with him swept any prejudice about the UK not having any talent straight under the rug.
Like it ain't no thing
Then a month passed, and we saw BlinG compete in several more tournaments, winning the UK WCG qualifiers. It was here where Samayan "BlinG" Kay was to really make a name for himself as a player, with the world's finest competition this was his time to shine. And oh did he shine.
Blasting through the group stages without losing a set he found himself facing off against team-mate dKiLLeR. The set was close, but in the end BlinG came out on top. Then, the bomb-shell dropped. Samayan was to stand up against none other than three-time GSL champion, Jung "Mvp" Jong Hyun.
None of us can imagine the pressure that was on Samayan, facing an opponent who has demolished legions of Code S players and bears the title of the most accomplished SC2 player to date is a challenge that should never be taken lightly.
What happened next surprised everyone. BlinG stomed through Mvp in the first game, leaving everyone breath-taken. Could this really happen? Would BlinG be the first foreigner to defeat IMMvp in a Bo3? Sadly, the "God terran" would not bestow this feat upon BlinG this day, and won the following two sets, and then the entire tournament.
There is no shame in defeat
Since then, BlinG has continued to leave his mark in several tournaments, including the HSCIV where he almost defeated team EG's latest recruit JYP. And tonight, he stands against another EG member in EG's DeMusliM, fighting for the title of the best SC2 player from the UK!
But this article is not really about BlinG, it is about his biggest fan: Karen Kay, his mother.
The support she shows for her son, and his choice of career is extremely heartwarming and inspirational. And that is why I am extremely happy to give you this brief interview with Karen Kay, dignitasMom!
A little about yourself, perhaps? And how did you react when Samayan told you that this was what he really wanted to do for a living?
I'm just a normal mum, well maybe not normal! I'm a mum who loves SC2. Of course I first got into it because of Samayan 'BlinG', but now it's at the stage where I watch matches and streams that he's not even in! Not sure if that is sad or not!
I don't feel worried at all by him being a pro gamer, i feel very proud. He is doing something that he enjoys, and in life I think that is very important. the world is his oyster, and he can do whatever he turns his hand to.
Samayan truly came out from, pretty much, nowhere when he shocked everyone with his performance at the IPL 4 UK qualifier, and then the absolutely amazing performance at WCG solidified his position as one of the best players from EU. Has he ever had a passion like the one he seems to have for SC2?
He came out of 'nowhere' for everyone else, but I have seen him paying computer games and console games for years, so it was not really a surprise for me. He used to always be the fastest at school in the running races, and he was also really good at football until he hurt his knee and could no longer play to the best of his ability. He did trampolining for a while and was good at that too, I think there is some evidence on youtube somewhere! So yes, he has always been passionate about everything he does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FSiB7ZooY
Like a boss
Looking at your tweets, it seems as if you have more than one child. Ilyes (Satouri, Stephano) and Samayan seem to have bonded really strongly in a short period of time. Mind telling us about how this friendship came to be, and your own personal opinions on Ilyes?
Samayan and Ilyes 'Stephano' "my sons" have become good friends becasue they have a similar sense of humour, and a shared interest in SC2, and partying! I really like Stephano, he has great style and is a fantastic troll! Oh, and did I mention he's great at SC2 too! I did not favour Zerg until i saw him play.
Did you know about professional video gaming before Samayan showed an interest in SC2, did you have any knowledge of esports before?
I had no idea about professional gaming before Samayan educated me! I remember the first time he told me he was entering an online tournament and the prize was like £10 UKP! I was really suspicious and could not understand why anyone would pay someone to play computer games, but slowly I started to understand how it works, and now I think it's fantastic. I also think Team Dignitas is a great team for him to be a part of, as they really support their players, and they're really nice people too.
You seem to take much more pride in the fact that Samyan is a real “esporter” compared to other parents. I have read countless interviews where progamers say that their parents aren't really happy about their choice of career and wish that they had studied instead. Do you ever feel like this? If not, is it because you are happy about the fact that your son has really found something that he can excel at?
Study is very important although I left school when I was 15! I found it boring and knew they could not teach me what I wanted to do in life, which at the time was to be in a band, be a model and an actress! Well I did all those things, then much later in my life I decided what I wanted to do, which was to become a journalist, so I went to college and acquired a Post graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism and now I run my own business of magazines and event organising. Only life can teach you about life there is nothing to compare with real life experience, although studying does have its place, and is a big part of life, I mean we have to know how to read and write, right?
Regarding the showmatch, have you ever had the opportunity to meet with Benjamin (Baker, DeMusliM before, and do you think that Samayan will come out victorious today?
I have not met 'DeMuslim' before, I follow him on Twitter but that is as far as it goes. I respect him as a UK player who has made a name for himself in the community. Obviously i hope than BlinG is victorious! But I have always felt that winning or losing is not the point, although of course it's good to win! It's about playing the game and enjoying it and doing your best. I think it will be a brilliant night with lots of nail biting for me!
Thank you for the interview, and the constant wave of optimism you spread through your twitter! Is their anyone you want to give a shout-out to or just thank?
I'd like to thank Samayan for being a fantastic son and friend and I wish him luck tonight! I also want to thank Team Dignitas for signing him, plus all the sponsors! And of course a shout out to Stephano :-)
If you want to tell Karen how awesome she is, please follow her on twitter!
https://twitter.com/#!/faeryheart
If you want me to keep on trying to write some more for the SC-community, please tell me here!
https://twitter.com/#!/Wndwrt