The picture of an athlete is linked to physical power; a carved body flaked into perfection by years of careful support and preparation. We expect these individuals will perform great feats of physicality better than the rest of us. That is the reason such a significant number of the notion that competitive video gaming, or eSports as it’s come to be known, should remain nearby other Olympic sports. But this requires rethinking.
eSports are being talked up as a potential medal event in the Paris summer games of 2024, but there are plenty of barriers in the way, with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach saying that eSports are contrary to “ Olympic rules and values of sport” (for now).
eSports will also be featured in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia as a demonstration sport (AKA no medals) and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in September. The specific video games that will be a part of the next two Asian Games have not been announced, however the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will feature FIFA 2017, MOBA games (like League of Legends or Dota 2), and “ real-time action” games (like StarCraft or Civilization). If the Olympic Council of Asia is willing to give eSports a shot, the IOC might give them a shot, too. This is a pretty big deal for eSports and ups their chance of making it into the Olympic Games one day.
Outside of the worldwide Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the Asian Games are one of the biggest Olympic events in the world. The Olympic Council of Asia that runs the Asian Games is one of five continental organizations recognized by the IOC, and the IOC basically decides which events make it to the Olympic Games. Five different individuals from the five continental Olympic organizations make up the IOC executive board’s vice presidents. One of them, Yu Zaiqin from China, is also a vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia. If the Olympic Council of Asia is willing to give eSports a shot, the IOC might give them a shot, too — especially if the two organizations share a vice president.
To become an Olympic sport, eSports need to have an international governing body. That’s what the International Esports Federation (IESF) is. If the IESF’s application to be recognized as a sport is accepted by the IOC, then eSports can be considered for the Olympic Games.
