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Esports athletes are often told that what they’re doing isn’t a real sport and that they aren’t on the same level as athletes who compete in the likes of basketball, soccer, and football.
Thankfully, for Esports athletes everywhere, the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) thinks otherwise.
2022 Asian Games
On Dec. 16 the AESF announced that esports, along with breakdancing, will be an official medaled event at the 2022 Asian Games.
The event will take place from Sept. 10 to Sept. 25, 2022 in Hangzhou, China.
The AESF continued to hype up the event and provide more information behind the decision with an official statement the very next day.
“This outcome is a step forward in the right direction as the esports community have been striving hard for the past few years in not only bringing esports into the mainstream limelight, but also a step closer to the biggest stage of all, the Olympics,” AESF said in the statement.
“To fully harness the potential and achieve maximum coverage of esports in the region, the importance of including this growing industry in the biggest sporting events in the region cannot be understated.”
The AESF made this decision based on the success that esports has had at other Asian competitions, such as the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang and the 2019 Manila SEA Games when it was included as a real sport for the first time ever in a in a regional multi-sports event.
“AESF presented a report chronicling the development and how far esports have progressed throughout Asia, by highlighting the inclusion of esports in major regional sporting events in recent years which will be distributed to the OCA and all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) families across Asia,” the statement also read.
While the excitement for esports as a medaled event can be felt all around the world, especially in Asia, there is no word yet as to what games will be played at the 2022 Asian Games.
For anyone waiting for that decision, fans are encouraged to monitor the AESF’s official Twitter account for updates.
However, despite the magnitude of this announcement for esports athletes, the AESF says that this is only the beginning of the legitimization of esports.
“Esports is closer to its rightful position in the competitive sporting scene and we look forward to a continuous and concentrated effort from everyone involved,” AESF said at the end of the statement.