For the first time, the games were held outside South Korea

Dutchman Manuel Schenkhuizen and Frenchman Yoan Merlo are both members of the Warcraft III team of the UK-based Four-Kings clan.

Mr Schenkuizen took gold and $25,000 (£13,900) for his efforts and his team-mate won the bronze medal and $5,000 (£2,800) in the World Cyber Games.

Unfortunately, none of the UK's 10 official entrants won medals.

Tough competition

Despite their membership of the UK Four-Kings Intel clan, both Mr Schenkuizen and Mr Merlo represented their home nations in the World Cyber Games.

Mr Schenkuizen's success helped the Netherlands top the medal table at the games with three golds and a bronze in the tournament in San Francisco.

UK WCG COMPETITORS Counter-Strike - Marc Mangiacapra, Keir McCann, Stuart Harriman, Nygel Harriman, Dave Pratt Unreal Tournament - David Treacy, Paul McGarrity Warcraft III - Martin Rome, Alex Bond Project Gotham Racing - Tom Humphris

The Dutch success meant that the favourites South Korea where bumped into second place.

This is the first year that the World Cyber Games have not been held in South Korea were computer gaming is a national obsession.

In other tournaments, the US clan Team3D took the top title in the Counter-Strike competition. Denmark took silver and South Korea bronze.

For their fast fingers Salvatore Garozzo, Johnny Quach, Dave Geffon, Ronald Kim and Kyle Miller of Team3D take home $50,000 (£28,000).

The UK Counter-Strike team was knocked out in the first league round, largely because its group also featured the SKGaming clan, renowned as one of the best in the world.

In football terms, it is the equivalent of facing Brazil in the first round of the World Cup.

SKGaming went on to lose in the elimination rounds to two medal-winning clans.

Hundreds of entrants

In the Unreal Tournament competition Dutch player Laurens Pluymaekers took the gold.

Warcraft winners play for UK team

The UK's David Treacy (aka Zaccubus) was knocked out in the league section and Paul McGarrity (aka Astz) got slightly further only to lose in the first round of the Unreal Tournament elimination stage.

Despite the success of members of a UK clan in the Warcraft III competition, neither of the UK's official players, Martin Rome (aka Pureball) and Alex Bond (aka Bond), got past the opening round.

Similarly in the Project Gotham racing event, Tom Humphris (aka Twist) did not get past the first stage.

The UK did not enter players in the Fifa 2004, Need for Speed, Starcraft and Halo events at the games.