Today, we get up close and personal with the famed Nguyen Phuong “FangZ” Chu, the leader of proA.gm, and find out more about his thoughts on gaming.

 

Hi FangZ, please introduce yourself to readers who maybe don’t know you yet?
Nguyen Phuong: Hello RGN readers, my name is Chu Nguyen Phuong, 24. At the moment, I am living in Hanoi and I am a CS Player for proArmy Gaming.

When did you started playing Counter Strike?
Nguyen Phuong: I’ve played Counter Strike for 7 years. I started years ago with version 1.0, and eventually moved on to playing version 1.6 for 3 years.

Why did you decide to train for Counter Strike seriously?
Nguyen Phuong: When I started playing Counter Strike 1.6, I saw how different it was from other versions. I realized that it requires a lot of skill and teamwork. I then began to consider playing CS competitively.

Initially, I participated in some tournaments just for fun. However, over time, I felt compelled to push myself further and to prove my abilities, and eventually decided to form a team of my own.

What’s your favorite gun in game? Why?
Nguyen Phuong: I was very comfortable with the M4A1 and AK47 in the older versions – they were so different back then! They were undoubtedly my favorite weapons. But right now, my favorite weapon would have to be the AWP. All you need is 1 shot to kill the opponent! (laugh)

Do you think playing eSports helps with your real life?
Nguyen Phuong: Of course! eSports has helped me to meet so many new people and make friends, especially with my clan mates. On top of that, it has improved my reflexes and trained me to stay clear-minded in tense situations. eSports has also taught me the importance of learning from past experiences.

 

Can you remember your first winning or losing tournament in your pro-gaming career?
Nguyen Phuong: Haha yes! The first title I clinched was at VESC07 when my team, proA.gm, first made its debut. We were up against Trex in the finals. We led them 1-0 at first, but, thanks to some good shooting on their part, they managed to tie us on the next round. We fought hard in the final round, and managed to secure a hard-earned victory. It was the first time that we took the stage as 1st place in Hanoi; it felt strangely foreign to me.

What skills do you think that a Counter Strike pro-gamer needs?
Nguyen Phuong: To be honest, I think Counter Strike gamers need to master every weapon, especially the AK47, M4 and the USP. They also have to work well with team mates and compose themselves in every situation.

Name 3 tournaments which left an impression on you.
Nguyen Phuong: Pico league, Vietnam World Cyber Games 2008 and KODE5 S.E.A. Pico league had a big cash prize. WCG 2008 was hosted very professionally and KODE5 had many international teams taking part.

proA.gm lost last summer in KODE5 S.E.A 2009. Can you tell me more about that?
Nguyen Phuong: In the very first round we met pretty average teams – most weren’t much of an issue for us. The real problem came when we met xCn and wNv. We couldn’t adjust to their playing style quickly enough and ended up losing. I still felt happy though. I feel that proA.gm needed to face such big-name teams like them to gain experience and improve.

How much of a skill gap do you think there is between Vietnamese and foreign CS players?
Nguyen Phuong: Pretty big, I’d say. We are definitely behind other professional international teams in terms of skill. The problem though, is that Vietnamese CS players have no-chance to scrim with international teams. Given the chance to regularly do so, I believe we can improve greatly.

Thanks for your time!
Nguyen Phuong: No problem!

And that sums up my short interview with FangZ. Stay tuned to Rapture Gaming for more coverage from Vietnam!