INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
If there’s still any doubt that esports is coming into the mainstream, just look to the world’s biggest sporting event: The Olympics.The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) have announced they will host
an esports forum, looking to gauge whether or not esports has a place in the Olympics.According to the release, the IOC and GAISF will host
esports players, game publishers, teams, media, sponsors and event organizers, as well as National Olympic Committees, International Sports
Federations, athletes and the IOC
The group as a whole is looking to “explore synergies, build joint understanding, and set a platform for future engagement between esports
and gaming industries and the Olympic Movement.”In the release, GAISF President Patrick Baumann said:Along with the IOC, the GAISF looks
forward to welcoming the esports and gaming community to Lausanne
We understand that sport never stands still and the phenomenal growth of esports and gaming is part of its continuing evolution
The Esports Forum provides an important and extremely valuable opportunity for us to gain a deeper understanding of esports, their impact
and likely future development, so that we can jointly consider the ways in which we may collaborate to the mutual benefit of all of sport in
the years ahead.Some of the panels at the forum include an interview on “The Key to Twitch’s Success,” “Future Opportunities for
Collaboration,” an interview on “A Day in the Life of an Elite Player” and a panel on “Gender Equality in All Sports.”Esports have
continued to grow at an impressive clip
The Overwatch League has introduced city-based teams into the mix, while Fortnite had a huge Pro-Am tournament at e3, not to mention
Epic’s introduction of a $100 million tournament prize pool for competitive play.Considering how bizarre some of the Olympic sports are
— I’m looking at you, Biathlon — the potential introduction of esports to the Olympic slate almost seems ordinary.
