Esports debuts as official medal event at Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games
- After debuting at the 2018 Asian Games as a demonstration sport featuring titles like League of Legends, esports wins approval as an official event
- Esports still faces an uncertain future in the Olympics
Esports will become an official medal event in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2022, marking a first for the multi-sports tournament and a major step forward for competitive gaming.
The move was confirmed by the Hangzhou organising committee on its Weibo account on Wednesday.
The gaming community had expected the incorporation of esports as a sporting event in the Hangzhou Games after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced in 2017 a partnership with Alibaba’s sports arm, Alisports. But the journey was not without hiccups.
(Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.)
The Asian Electronic Sports Federation, consisting of members from 45 countries and regions, said it welcomes the latest development.
“This outcome is a step forward in the right direction as the esports community have been striving hard for the past few years in not only bringing esports into the mainstream limelight, but also a step closer to the biggest stage of all, the Olympics,” the group said in a statement.
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The International Olympics Committee has said that it “sees great potential” for incorporating electronic games that simulate traditional sports, including the use of virtual or augmented reality technology.
“With regard to other electronic games … at this stage, the sports movement should focus on players and gamers rather than on specific games,” the committee said following the 8th Olympic Summit last year.
“This focus on individuals should promote the participation in sport and its benefits as well as healthy lifestyle at all levels.”
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The Hangzhou Asian Games is expected to take place between 10 and 25 September, 2022. Nagoya, Japan will host in 2024 while Doha, Qatar won the hosting rights for 2030 on Wednesday.