The biggest multisport event in Asia has entered a new era with the debut of electronic sports, or eSports, as a demonstration event in Jakarta at the 2018 Asian Games.
On August 26, eSports kicked off its Asian Games journey with as many as 150 athletes, male and female, from 18 different countries tussling for supremacy in an electrifying atmosphere, although medals achieved in demonstration event will not be added to official medal tally.
The journey of eSports in getting into the 2018 Asian Games was long and definitely not easy. It took time and a lot of effort for the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) to convince the National Olympic Committee (NOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) to include eSports in this year’s Games.
“For four years we have held workshops and demonstrations in an effort to convince the OCA [to support] eSports, also with the help from the NOC. We hope that after this, the talents of these eSports athletes can be recognized worldwide,” said Kenneth Fok, the president of the AESF.
Fok described the inclusion of eSports in the 2018 Asian Games as “a very good step” for the Energy of Asia and the sporting world. ESports is expected to develop pride within athletes and a greater unity and promote a new type of career to consider for the future generations.
Danny Buldansyah, a spokesman for INASGOC, as cited by BBC Indonesia said eSports was included because it was "part of a modern sport that involved a lot of millennials and a sport that is a fast-growing entertainment in the community."
Source: AG Media & The Jakarta Post, BBC