Esports has been named a full medal sport for the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. The inclusion of esports was announced at the Olympic Council of Asia’s general assembly in Muscat. In a statement released on Friday, the OCA’s Asian Games director, Haider Farman said: “I hope that electronic sports will add value to the Asian Games – and I am sure it will in the future, during the Asian Games 2022 and even beyond that.” The inclusion of esports as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games means that all medals that are won under the esports category will add up to the respective country’s overall medal tally. For an industry that has a longstanding ambition to be recognized as an Olympic Sport, the inclusion of esports as a medal event will bring it one step closer towards being recognized by the Olympic Committee to participate in the prestigious sporting event. Since making its debut in 2017, esports has featured in multi-sports events on numerous occasions, starting with the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Since then, it has featured at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, 2019 Manila SEA Games and is scheduled to be a part of the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam followed by a return to AIMAG in Chonburi, Thailand. With the inclusion of esports in multi-sports events and with the Olympics shifting their focus to younger audiences by including breakdancing, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it should only be a matter of time before esports competes in the biggest event of them all. What do you think?
