The International Esports Federation recently announced that it has named Nurassyl Medeu as its new development director, following a “formal decision by the IESF Board.”
In this role, Medeu will “focus on advancing IESF’s global development agenda, with a particular emphasis on event acquisition, host city engagement, strategic partnerships, and long-term ecosystem growth,” according to the announcement that took place during the holidays in mid-December. Further, the IESF said in its announcement that it has given Medeu a mandate to focus on supporting the “expansion of IESF championships and initiatives by working closely with national federations, host cities, institutional partners, and private-sector stakeholders.”
In recent years the international federation has struggled to secure locations for its annual championship events, and in December it worked with the Malaysia Esports Federation to operate a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Championship event, though other titles were not included at the time.
“We are delighted to welcome Nurassyl to the IESF Family,” said Vlad Marinescu, president of the International Esports Federation. “His youthful energy, dedication and experiences will contribute to the development of World Esports.”
A native of Kazakhstan, Medeu is an advisor to the CEO of BTS Digital, an academic, and an investor that focuses on several sectors including IT, software development, sports, and tourism, according to the IESF.
Also in December, the IESF announced the ITTI Sports Institute (ITTI) x IESF Scholarship winners for 2025. For 2025, the IESF x ITTI Scholarship Program awarded a total of four full scholarships to IESF members. This year’s winners include Aaliyah Munawar from Malaysia, Asmaa Thabet from Egypt, Nicky Boncu from Romania, and Iris Gonzalez from Mexico. The IESF says that this scholarship program provides the following benefits:
“The program combines online learning with in-person classes in Barcelona, allowing students to experience an international academic environment while staying connected to their own regions. During the program, scholarship recipients will attend classes on campus, meet fellow students from around the world, connect with industry professionals, and take part in the graduation ceremony, which will also be available online.”
More details about the 2025 winners and their background can be found at iesf.org.