In a historic move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the first Olympic esports games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025. The decision follows a recent proposal from the IOC Executive Board and will be announced at an IOC session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The IOC has partnered with the Saudi National Olympic Committee (NOC) for 12 years to bring the Olympic esports games to life. In an official announcement, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “We invite the world to join us in celebrating this moment in 2025.”
Already on the rise, eSports in India could benefit significantly from this development. After winning a bronze medal in DOTA 2 at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and claiming five titles at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, the Indian eSports scene is set for further growth.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the groundbreaking development, Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming said, “NODWIN Gaming is thrilled that esports is getting its own standalone event at the Olympics, similar to the Summer, Winter and Paralympics. This recognition will allow countries to develop their own independent esports programs. With our partners at GEF and EWC, NODWIN Gaming aims to build esports in key growth markets and seize this opportunity for hope and glory.”
The IOC launched its first esports pilot, the Olympic Virtual Series, in 2021, and held Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June 2023. The event brought together more than 130 athletes from around the world to compete in 10 mixed categories, generated more than 500,000 unique participants and 6 million views, with 75% of the audience aged 13-34.
“The IOC’s embrace of esports as an Olympic sport celebrates the dedication and skill of millions of gamers around the world. It elevates esports beyond mere competition to a global platform, encouraging international collaboration and potentially recruiting a new generation of athletes. This initiative is a truly groundbreaking moment for esports, bringing it the global recognition it has long been striving for. Including esports in the Olympic Movement demonstrates the growing influence of esports and solidifies its place in the future of sport,” said Robbie John, CEO and Co-Founder of SuperGaming.
The introduction of eSports in the Olympics is expected to further increase the credibility of eSports in India and establish it as a viable sport and career option.
“This recognition will further legitimise esports as a career option and will elevate the professional landscape of competitive gaming as more parents will now support their children to pursue a career in this field. We are proud to support the growth of esports in India, giving our players the opportunity to shine on this prestigious international platform.”
With the official announcement of the Olympic eSports event, the work now begins to select the host city and venue, determine the timing of the event, select the title, and establish the qualification process for athletes. The IOC has emphasized its cooperation with international federations already involved in eSports and with National Olympic Committees that include eSports in their activities.
While the title of the Olympic eSports event has not been officially announced, the possibility of including games across multiple platforms is expected to spur growth in the Indian gaming industry. This could lead to an increase in PC and console gaming, and diversify India’s primarily mobile gaming market as players look to represent their country at the biggest international multi-sport event.
“We are extremely excited about the announcement of Olympic esports events to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is a monumental step for the industry and all stakeholders. The Indian esports sector is on an upward trajectory and this will further strengthen it. Bringing esports under the banner of the pinnacle of global sporting events will lend more legitimacy to this form of sports and encourage the emergence of a new generation of esports talent in the country. We are excited and look forward to extending our support to the Indian esports community and making our mark at global events!” said Vishal Parekh, COO, CyberPowerPC India.
Additionally, the IOC will establish a dedicated structure for Olympic esports events that will be distinct from the traditional Olympic Games model to address the unique aspects of esports financing and organization.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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