From Ashgabat to Hangzhou: eSports moves to Olympic recognition
The Olympic Summit was held at the Palace Hotel in Lausanne on October 28, where it was suggested that e-sports can be considered a sporting activity. This is due to the fact that "players play with intensity, which can be compared to that of the athletes in traditional sports." The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations will now begin a dialogue with the gaming industry and cyber players to further explore this issue. Cyber-athletes should also create a governing body "guaranteeing compliance with the rules and regulations of the Olympic Movement," including in areas such as anti-doping. In a statement made after the Olympic Summit under the chairmanship of IOC President Thomas Bach, there is no schedule for the official integration of e-sports with the aim of being included in the Olympic program. But the fact that this issue was discussed and announced publicly shows that e-sports is taken seriously by the Olympic family. Experts note that this was facilitated by the inclusion of e-sports as a demonstration competition in the program of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held last month in Ashgabat, and it is hoped that they will be presented in the full program of the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. The head of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who participated in the current Olympic summit, said that the growing popularity of cyber sport can not be ignored and needs support as one of the ways to unite the world's youth. According to the research company Newzoo, the global audience of e-sports can reach 385.5 million this year.
