In what is surely set to be a historic occasion, the 142nd session of the International Olympic Committee unanimously voted in favour of the creation of the Olympic ESports Games. This marks the latest in a series of attempts since 2018 of the IOC’s involvement with ESports.
This led to the organization of an “Olympic ESports Week” held in Singapore in 2023. Following the success of the aforementioned Olympic ESports Week, the IOC ESports Commission was asked by IOC President Thomas Bach to study the potential creation of an Olympic ESports Games at the 141st session held in Mumbai, India in October 2023.
In the leadup to the vote, the IOC announced on July 12th that it had partnered with the Saudi Olympic Committee to host the inaugural Olympic ESports Games in 2025. This marks another milestone in Saudi Arabia’s recent push in the world of ESports, with Saudi Arabia hosting major events such as the Gamers8 event in 2023, as well as the ongoing ESports World Cup event.
Following the voting process and official approval, IOC President Thomas Bach stated,
“This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractiveness of the Olympics brand and the values it stands for among young people. The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great – if not unique – experience in the field of esports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Minister for Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee also commented on the matter by stating,
“Thanks to Vision 2030 introduced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future. And the reason why is the same reason why we are investing across all sports – our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in, and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together.
“The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world. We believe that taking part in the Olympics is the ultimate honour that any athlete can achieve. That is why we are committed to providing the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform and for the Olympic spirit to be shared. Together we all share the prospect of instilling the Olympic values in new and innovative ways. And we look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025.”
ESports has long been contesting its case to be considered an actual sport, and while the stigma of it not being considered as such has been long since vanquished, this moment is surely something to rubber-stamp its legitimacy.
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