2018
E-sports are announced
as a demonstration
event at the Asian
Games in Indonesia.
Six titles confirmed2008
The International
e-Sports Federation
(IeSF) is founded
by nine countries’
e-sports associationsabove An e-sports event
in Russia in 2017left Pro e-sports players
battling in the game
Counter Strike: Global
OffensivePHOTO © ROMAN KOSOLAPOV/SHUTTERSTOCKonce a curiosity in places like South Korea – is
now making its way into the Asian Games as
an official sport. Asiad’s organising body, the
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), noted the
industry’s “rapid development and popularity”
as a form of sports among youth, generating
some USD490 million in revenue in 2016.
“E-sports is the way forward, and this is
evident from how sponsors are reacting. From
Coca-Cola, the oldest Olympic sponsor, to
Alibaba, one of the newest major sponsors,
e-sports is a big part of sponsor plans,” says
Professor Andy Miah, Olympic commentator
and Chair in Science Communication and
Future Media at the University of Salford.
“We’ve reached an exciting point in the
history of e-sports.”
According to the Asian Electronic Sports
Federation, the six e-sports selected for
September’s Jakarta Games promote integrity,
ethics, and fair play – which it hopes will
encourage young people to be “the best they
can be through educational and entertaining
interactive challenges”. ag2022
E-sports will be a medal
event at the Hangzhou
Asian Games as part of
a deal between Alibaba
and the OCA2024
E-sports may feature in
the Paris Olympics as
a demonstration sport.
Talks ongoing between
the IeSF and organisers