IESF Welcomes Nurassyl Medeu as New Development Director

The International Esports Federation has appointed Nurassyl Medeu as its new development director, following a decision made by the IESF Board.

In this position, Medeu will concentrate on enhancing IESF’s global development strategy, particularly in areas like event acquisition, engaging host cities, forming strategic partnerships, and fostering long-term growth within the esports ecosystem. This announcement was made during the holiday season in mid-December. The IESF has tasked Medeu with supporting the expansion of its championships and initiatives by collaborating closely with national federations, host cities, institutional partners, and private-sector stakeholders.

In recent years, the federation has faced challenges in securing venues for its annual championship events. In December, it partnered with the Malaysia Esports Federation to host a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Championship, although other titles were not included at that time.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nurassyl to the IESF Family,” stated Vlad Marinescu, president of the International Esports Federation. “His youthful energy, commitment, and experience will be invaluable to the growth of World Esports.”

Hailing from Kazakhstan, Medeu serves as an advisor to the CEO of BTS Digital and is also an academic and investor with interests spanning IT, software development, sports, and tourism.

Additionally, in December, the IESF revealed the winners of the ITTI Sports Institute (ITTI) x IESF Scholarship for 2025. This year, the program awarded four full scholarships to IESF members, with recipients including Aaliyah Munawar from Malaysia, Asmaa Thabet from Egypt, Nicky Boncu from Romania, and Iris Gonzalez from Mexico. The IESF highlights that this scholarship program offers several benefits:

“The program combines online learning with in-person classes in Barcelona, allowing students to experience an international academic environment while remaining connected to their own regions. During the program, scholarship recipients will attend classes on campus, meet fellow students from around the globe, network with industry professionals, and participate in a graduation ceremony, which will also be available online.”

For more information about the 2025 winners and their backgrounds, visit the IESF website.