For the first time, the Olympic Esports Week will be held in June, with not only Olympic medals awarded to the best pro players, but also panels and shows.
The International Olympic Committee has announced the first Olympics dedicated entirely to esports. The first Olympic Esports Week will take place between June 22-25 next year in Singapore, as unveiled today. It is an important recognition for electronic sports, an increasingly technical discipline as well as a thriving business.
The Esports Olympics —
As he points out GamesIndustry, is the first time for an event of this kind, complete with live finals in the presence of the Olympic Esports Series. The event was held virtually last year and attracted 250,000 participants from 100 countries, as explained by the Olympic Committee. Competitors battled for the gold medal across a range of disciplines, including baseball, cycling, racing, and more. The week will not only be competitions, but also panels, educational sessions and shows, and has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Sport and the National Olympic Committee of Singapore.
Thomas Bach’s Commentary —
“The first Olympic Esports Week marks an important milestone in our ambition to support the growth of virtual sports within the Olympic movement,” explained Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, which in 2018 called it ‘premature’ to discuss video games at the Olympics. “We believe the exciting new format of our virtual sports competition, with live finals being hosted for the first time, is an opportunity to further collaborate with esports players and create new opportunities for gamers and fans alike.” Furthermore, “it is a perfect opportunity to partner with Singapore, who have a long history of supporting the Olympic movement, having hosted the Youth Olympic Games, so we look forward to working with them”.
16 November 2022 – 5.36pm
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED