Mumbai: The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is proposing the creation of ‘Olympic Esports Games’ to the 142nd IOC Session, which will be held during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, when the IOC Members will vote on this proposal. The IOC has said that it is already in advanced discussions with a potential host, and an announcement can be expected very soon after the last formalities have been finalised.
“With the creation of Olympic Esports Games, the IOC is taking a major step forward and is keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. We are very excited how enthusiastically the esports community represented in our Esports Commission has engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.
The IOC said that it has been engaging with esports since 2018 in a holistic way. It has chosen an approach that allows the organisation to be successful in the esports space while staying true to the values that have guided the IOC for over a century. “With respect to esports, our values are and remain the red line that we will never cross,” Bach said.
The IOC’s first engagement with the esports community was the organisation of the Esports Forum in 2018 in Lausanne, followed by the setting up of an Esports Liaison Group as a platform to engage with all the esports stakeholders. This was later transformed into the IOC Esports Commission, chaired by IOC Member David Lappartient. In 2021, the IOC developed the Olympic Virtual Series, the IOC’s first pilot venture in esports.
Building on the learnings from this Olympic Virtual Series, the IOC then launched the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June 2023, which brought together the Olympic and esports communities. A highlight of the Olympic Esports Week was the live finals, created in collaboration with the International Sports Federations (IFs) and game publishers. Over 130 players from across the globe came together to compete in the Olympic spirit on the global stage, in 10 mixed-gender category events. Players were cheered on by a full house of fans in Singapore, with all the action streamed online. Including the qualifiers, the Olympic Esports Series attracted over 500,000 unique participants and generated more than six million views of live action over all channels, with 75 per cent of views from people aged 13 to 34.
Following this success, last October the IOC President tasked the Esports Commission with studying the creation of ‘Olympic Esports Games’. In record time, the Commission has come back with a very concrete proposal. At the IOC EB meeting, it was highlighted that such organisation must happen under a completely new dedicated structure within the IOC, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games.
Nevertheless, the IOC EB emphasised that IFs already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the “Olympic Esports Games” would be the IOC’s first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that include esports in their activities.
Esports was featured at the Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022, where India’s DOTA 2 team secured a bronze medal. It was also a medal sport at the Asian Games 2022, with India competing in five titles. Previously, esports was showcased as a demonstration event at the Asian Games 2018, where India’s Tirth Mehta won bronze in Hearthstone.
Looking ahead, esports will feature in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) and the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder, MD Nodwin Gaming said, “This recent development around the “Olympic Esports Games” further fortifies the dawn of esports as a mainstream sport in international multi-sport events.
“The decision to make International Federations responsible for the adjacency of their sport to an esport title empowers democratically elected and independent sports federations the ability to engage with the youth of their respective sports while keeping the tenets of the Olympic charter.
“The Olympic Esports Games is an endorsement of esports by the most prestigious global sports body, realizing its value and giving it recognition. With the strategic partnership of Nodwin gaming with the Global Esports Federation (GEF), our aligned vision is to elevate esports globally in emerging markets.
“We expect newer partnerships with existing and fresh entrants in the space for brands, publishers, and communities.
“I am excited and hopeful that the opportunity offers traditional esports titles a chance to be chosen by International or National Federations and will soon be included as a medal sport in the Olympics as well as this new-age sport will finally be embedded under the iconic rings of the Olympics.”
Roby John, CEO, co-founder SuperGaming said, “We’re excited to see the International Olympic Committee (IOC) actively considering the inclusion of Esports in the Olympics. This is a major step in recognising Esports as a legitimate performance sport. By integrating Esports into the Olympics, the IOC acknowledges the dedication, skill, and sportsmanship of this growing field. The hard work of governing bodies, stakeholders, game developers, and especially the gamers, has made this achievement possible. This move validates the importance of esports and celebrates the efforts of everyone involved. In our own small way, we are proud to contribute to the grassroots growth of Esports in India, and it is exciting to see the grit and talent of players from across the world compete at Esports and shine in their Olympic journey.”
