Excel e-sports: the ‘Olympics’ of spreadsheets is a fun twist on serious software

MICROSOFT Excel – the epitome of office drudgery – has a lesser-known side: as an adrenaline-fuelled sport where “data athletes” face off in “spreadsheet battles”.

Picture a neon-lit gaming arena where Excel enthusiasts from all over the world solve unusual games as the timer counts down, cheered on by live game commentators and fervent fans.

That’s a typical scene at the Microsoft Excel World Championship, where Excel whizzes turn a mundane office tool into a sporting battleground. The finals of this year’s edition is set to take place from Dec 2 to 4 in the glitzy city of Las Vegas.