Calling all e-gamers: Here’s your chance to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in China
Green light for electronic sports at 2022 extravaganza in Hangzhou
Video gaming will be featured as a full sport at the 2022 Asian Games, with competitors in electronic sports set to receive medals for their digital prowess.
The Olympic Council of Asia says it will introduce e-sports to the official programme of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. It will also be a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia.
The council is collaborating with Alisports, a unit of China’s Alibaba Group – which owns the South China Morning Post – to bring e-sports to the games. No details were given on which video games would be included.
Last year, Alisports organised the first World Electronic Sports Games (WESG), with a total prize fund of US$5.5 million. The disciplines included Dota 2, Counter-Strike and StarCraft II.
The Asian Games features a wide range of traditional Olympic sports along with others containing more regional appeal.
Some of the more obscure sports include sepak takraw, which combines features from soccer and volleyball, and kabaddi, a contact team sport that evolved in and is dominated by India.
The sports programme has also included a variety of martial arts, contract bridge, jet-ski racing and sport climbing.
