The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken a backward step on the matter inclusion of eSports as a medal event in the Olympics. In a statement released during a summit of Olympic Movement stakeholders in Lausanne, IOC cited “uncertainties” in the development of eSports and described the discussion of its Olympic inclusion “premature.”
The statement made the following remarks: “the [esports] industry is fragmented in nature, with tough competition between commercial operators. The industry is commercially driven, while on the other hand, the sports movement is values-based.
“The [IOC summit] advises major sports events organisers within the Olympic Movement to respect this principle for their own competitions.”
Earlier this year, the IOC invited eSports stakeholders to a two-day summit, after which there were positive vibes about the possibility of eSports’ inclusion in future Olympic Games.
One of the main advocates for the Olympic inclusion of eSport was Patrick Baumann, IOC member and former Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) president, who passed away suddenly in October.
By Niji Narayan
Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.