Catch 78-year-old Gamer DieHardBirdie in this new interview exploring the link between gaming and dementia prevention

NOVEMBER 26, 2020

Illustration

Abbe Borg – DieHardBirdie

By: The Soho Loft Media Group
Senior gamer DieHardBirdie talks about the benefits of gaming and participating in a new dementia prevention study in this new interview

Abbe “DieHardBirdie“ Borg (https://www.twitch.tv/diehardbirdie), the 78-year-old Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) senior world champion, is the featured guest in a new interview with Dr. Pramod Prabhakaran of Imperial College Health Partners.

The interview focused on the study of how esports can help in the prevention of dementia. This research is a collaborative effort between the Global Esports Federation and the British Esports Association.

Dr. Pramod Prabhakaran, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and member of the Global Esports Federation Wellness Focus Group, hosted the interview. He said, “There is increasing evidence regarding the social, cognitive, and emotional benefits of gaming. Gaming as a form of cognitive exercise can help reduce the risk of developing dementia.” He also noted how insights from the interview would be used to develop Esports programmes and add to the body of research on dementia prevention.
Chester King, CEO of the British Esports Association, commended the initiative of the research in exploring the effects of gaming in fighting dementia. “This research, with the help of the Global Esports Federation, is a major step towards the right direction. Today, there are more research studies being conducted to find a cure for dementia. Esports and playing games can produce positive health benefits for players that may result in reducing the risk of developing dementia later on. DieHardBirdie is proof of how playing games can positively affect one’s overall health well beyond their 70s with the help of living a healthy lifestyle, of course,” King said.
DieHardBirdie, currently active in playing and streaming his games at the age of 78, discussed how his esports journey changed his life. “I may be 78 years old but I can still play CS:GO almost every day. I get to play for 2 to 4 hours daily, like my exercise. Since I have started playing video games, I noticed that my physical, mental, and overall health improved. I am sharper than I did before. My reflexes are quicker and my hand-eye coordination is better. Those are the benefits I got from playing games,” Borg said.
He expressed his joy in participating in this interview. “Whenever I play games, it improves my mood, takes away the stress, and keeps me mentally active. I am happy to share my experience in esports. But everything should be in moderation. Playing too many games for a long time will still take a toll on the body. Everything should be balanced,” Borg added.


About DieHardBirdie
Abbe Borg, best known as “DieHardBirdie,” is a Sweden-based Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) senior world champion at 78 years old. Before his second career as a pro gamer, Abbe was a professional artist working on metals and paper sculptures. Abbe is fond of origami and we can often find him creating interesting sculptures out of old books and crafting beautiful paper flowers for his family and friends when not video gaming. Abbe is tagged as Birdie because of his talent in mimicking bird calls and sounds by whistling with a leaf or other materials.
DieHardBirdie can be reached at moc.liamg%40eidribdraheid. He streams his gameplays on twitch.tv/diehardbirdie and uploads his videos on youtube.com/c/diehardbirdie.
About the British Esports Association

The British Esports Association is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2016 to support and promote esports in the UK.
As a national body, its aims are to foster future British talent, increase the awareness of esports, and provide expertise and advice. It’s focused on the grassroots level of esports and is not a governing body.
The Association helps educate the masses – including parents, teachers, media, and government – around what esports is and what its benefits are. Its three goals are to Promote, Improve, and Inspire.



www.britishesports.org