Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen had some very nice words for Astralis, and gaming in general, during a recent visit to their offices. In a video obtained by Motherboard, Loekke plays a few rounds of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with the team over a two hour session, commenting about his admiration for them and his love of Denmark’s gaming community.
Astralis is one of the top esports organisations in the world, having had a banner year last year with back-to-back Major victories. They’re legitimate superstars on a global stage, and Rasmussen is proud to have them as representatives of Denmark and as idols for young Danish gamers.
“The Astralis guys are definitely role models,” Rasmussen says in the video. “Lots of youngsters are gaming here in Denmark. According to statistics, 96% of all Danish boys are playing at least twice a week. They’re in cellars and rooms behind closed doors, and parents think ‘what are they doing?’ And they can look at Astralis and see that gaming is about meeting people in real life. It’s about getting proper sleep, it’s about nutrition, physical activity. A lot of parents around Denmark are really pleased about the Astralis guys acting as role models.”
Rasmussen’s time with Astralis is part of a broader national strategy to invest in esports and gaming as a whole. The Ministry of Culture is developing an ‘esports panel’ to deal with and regulate the area as it grows.
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Cultivating a positive climate for gaming in the country is mutual between the Prime Minister and the team, Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander stating after: “We’ve been through so much over the past two [to] three years that nothing really comes as a surprise anymore, but if we can contribute to making a difference for the gamers and eSports in general, we love to be a part of it.”