by ISD Tedra Kerrigan
Several days ago, Interstellar Correspondents received the notice below directly from Somerset Mahm with the stipulation that we hold the announcement. Now that the announcement has been made public, we present to you the message:
"SOMER Blink, the popular Eve gambling site, will be sponsoring all thirty-two Open Tournament entrants as they attempt to claw their way to victory. It is Blink's hope that sponsoring everyone will lead to more exciting fights than ever before by equalizing the ability of each team to select the best ships they can.
Each team which has been selected to play in the Tournament will receive 10 billion ISK, courtesy of SOMER Blink. Included is a copy of the letter sent to each team captain alongside the Blink donation:
Greetings!
As team captain, you are receiving this message because SOMER Blink has sent 10 billion ISK to your wallet, earmarked for the purpose of purchasing ships, modules, implants, and supplies for the upcoming Tournament. It is our hope that this will allow your team to field the exact setups you hope will give you the best chance of victory, and so the Tournament may be decided on the basis of pilot skill rather than financial strength.
There are no conditions or requirements associated with the receipt of this ISK. We ask only that it be used to provide the tournament spectators a fantastic show! You have no obligation to return unused ISK or to mention SOMER Blink in any communications or announcements, though we would appreciate your confirmation of receipt so we can ensure all teams have been sponsored.
Best of luck in the upcoming tournament!
Yours truly,
Somerset Mahm
on behalf of SOMER Blink
http://cogdev.net/blink/"
Elise Randolph of team Why Dash said that, being part of Pandemic Legion they were not known for needing financial backing, but added that she thought Somerset was 'a good man'.
Warr Akini, captain of Oxygen Isonopes, said that while they did not need the money either, they were very pleased to see organizations out there trying to make the fights more interesting. He also stated his intention to 'embezzle the crap out of it' in true New Eden tradition. Now that his intention has been outed it remains to be seen how successful he is.
Are you affected by the events in this article? Do you have information regarding another event in New Eden? If so, please contact us with any information that you may have.
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