MenaRD Visits Dominican Lawmakers to Promote esports In the Country

MenaRD made history by becoming to first (and only) person to win two Capcom Cups in Street Fighter V. This win has seen huge ripple effects all around the world, not least in Mena's home country of the Dominican Republic.

The country, which is really starting to get into esports, has shown some support, especially after Mena's incredible feat. The player has since then visited many Dominican organizations and associations, the latest of which was the Cámara de Diputados de la República Dominicana, also known as the Chamber of Deputies. 

According to a tweet from the official Twitter handle of Bandits Gaming, the visit from MenaRD was to discuss the potential of esports within the country and why lawmakers should harness the power of youth within video games as a means of social development and economic growth for the country.

In a 2022 report on Bloomberglinea, the president of the Dominican Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies, Lopez Valerio, said that there are so many opportunities within esports, and therefore, there are plans to regulate the industry so as to make it more professional.

It is projected that revenue in the Esports market within DR will reach almost two million US dollars in 2023. The potential of video games as a viable career path for many youths in the country is too strong to ignore, and it is hoped that meetings such as these will lead to tremendous growth in the scene.

Mena presented his Bandits jersey to his hosts at the Cámara de Diputados de la República Dominicana, which they held up and took photos with. The jersey has become such a hit that Mena announced that a limited run of the jersey would be available to buy.

It is currently unknown if MenaRD will be at Evo Japan 2023, but we can at least look forward to his exploits in Street Fighter 6.