PUBLISHED ONJanuary 17, 2026 2:32 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangAt 76, most would expect him to chill — having leisurely meals and going for holidays.
But not Jimmy Tang. You are most likely to find him at a LAN shop, deftly swiping his mouse across his mousepad as he guns down opponents online.
He isn't just playing because it's a hobby — to him, gaming is also a way to bond with family, he told AsiaOne last Saturday (Jan 10).
"I think having a common hobby is very important for sharing," Jimmy said. "If you don't have a common hobby, there'll be no bonding."
He added: "If a family has no common hobbies, there is a big problem."
Jimmy, a retired army officer, is the leader of a Counter-Strike 2 team Squad2X2 consisting of four seniors, aged between 64 and 76.
But he doesn't play just Counter-Strike 2 — in his spare time, he has taken up the hit Chinese mythology game Black Myth: Wukong as well as one of the Street Fighter games.
"When I have problems, I call them (his grandchildren)... They always come over to my console and help me," he said. "So we share a common hobby."
However, it isn't just the shared hobby that brings him and his grandchildren together to bridge the intergenerational gap.
He also highlighted how usual relationships between elderly and their grandchildren is one where the elderly usually talks down to the latter or offers advice.
With gaming, the teacher becomes the student, he says, explaining that his grandchildren offer assistance by guiding him on how to set up his computer and load the games he plays.
He added: "When I say I want to learn something… they will be very happy, they will come and join you."
Jimmy always had a passion for technology despite the lack of a background in the subject.
"Since the 1980s, when the first (commercial) Apple computer came out… I was quite curious to find out what it's all about," he said.
Recalling how he had visited Sim Lim Tower in the 1980s, he said he had done some research prior to taking a look at the exhibition then.
He also tried picking up Microsoft's Excel 1.0, which came out in 1985.
More recently, he has been attending courses on how to build a computer, he said.
While his interest in technology played a key role in his current passion for esports, this would not have occurred without the involvement of Lien Foundation, which invited Jimmy to join the esports course.
He said: "I said, 'Why not? I'll take a challenge'."
Moreover, it was free.
"Free? Just take lah," he laughed.
He told AsiaOne that his family had reacted quite positively to him joining the programme since he was learning something new instead of idling at home.
Tongue in cheek, Tang called out the retiree stereotype — waking up, reading newspaper and having meals in a coffee shop.
"Go out and learn something," he advised. "You can use the SkillsFuture development fund to do a lot of things, like hydroponics, bakery… just keep yourself busy."
He also pointed out that his mind has been kept active by esports.
"By playing Counter-Strike 2, it actually helps you make your mind sharper, you're making decisions easier too."
Jimmy explained that the game requires hand-eye coordination and decision-making skills at a very fast pace.
But that's not all he's gained from gaming — he's also made friends around the globe.
"Every Monday and Thursday, we play online… we communicate and talk (through Discord), and then we also make friends with people from Malaysia," he said.
These Malaysians are also seniors and have become Jimmy's friends. Over the past two years, he played with a team of seniors from Sweden and became friends with them, too.
"So we've made a circle of friends, not only local, but overseas."
Jimmy also revealed to AsiaOne that he tried his hand at building a community of seniors for esports, getting help from the Singapore Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA).
Borrowing laptops from his contact at the Association, he taught some of his friends how to operate the device and play Counter-Strike 2.
Now he teaches and plays with some of his friends and other seniors at the newly-opened Bishan Esports Hub — Singapore's first seniors-focused Esports Hub which debuted on Sunday (Jan 11).
The Hub was made possible by Bishan East-Sin Ming Beautiful People Taskforce in partnership with Lien Foundation and SCOGA, featuring 10 gaming desktops and five senior-friendly Nintendo Switch consoles.
It also offers Counter-Strike 2 training for seniors, alongside 'exergaming' sessions that blend exercise with interactive games conducted by trainers from Esports Academy.
Speaking of his hopes for gaming as a hobby, Jimmy commented that there are seniors out there who are unable to join the more physical activities that other seniors participate in.
"So what can they do? (They can) play Counter-Strike 2!" he said with a smile. "Let me teach you, then we can share (the hobby)."
He also ventured that playing the game might even help rehabilitate some elderly, jokingly adding: "If a patient in a hospital can play Counter-Strike 2, they can probably recover faster and go home!"
khooyihang@asiaone.com
