History was made on Tuesday when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to create Olympic Esports Games.
The first edition will be held in 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The 142nd IOC Session in Paris endorsed the proposal by the IOC Executive Board (EB) unanimously. For the organisation of the Games, the IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia for 12 years.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people. The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great – if not unique – experience in the field of esports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”
The IOC has been engaging with esports since 2018 in a holistic way. This culminated in the organisation of the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. As a result of the success of this event, the IOC President asked the IOC Esports Commission at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, in October 2023 to study the creation of the Olympic Esports Games. The Commission, under the leadership of IOC Member David Lappartient, devised a project which addresses the interest of the esports community while respecting the Olympic values. This is particularly true with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “Thanks to Vision 2030 introduced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future. And the reason why is the same reason why we are investing across all sports – our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in, and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together. The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.
“We believe that taking part in the Olympics is the ultimate honour that any athlete can achieve. That is why we are committed to providing the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform and for the Olympic spirit to be shared. Together we all share the prospect of instilling the Olympic values in new and innovative ways. And we look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025.”
IOC Member HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Women’s Committee, stated: “The story of sport in Saudi Arabia is a story of transformation. A story of unleashing the incredible potential of the Saudi people, harnessing their passion for sport, and elevating their quality of life. Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, has delivered a wave of more than 150 reforms that have transformed society, empowering women and youth. As a nation, we already have over 23.5 million gamers, of whom almost half are female. We have been at the very heart of the esports industry for many years. We see that hosting the Olympic Esports Games in 2025 is a natural next step in our journey of opening up Saudi Arabia to the world and the world to Saudi.”
Prince Abdulaziz and Princess Reema presented the project together to the IOC Session.
In the last two years through major international tournaments, including the inaugural Esports World Cup, Saudi Arabia has hosted over 1 700 elite players from over 80 countries. Further underlining its hosting credentials, esports events in Saudi Arabia have welcomed nearly four million fans to enjoy live experiences in the Kingdom, with a further 1.3 billion views from across the globe on a variety of streaming platforms. As many as 67% of the Saudi population consider themselves to be gamers, with an ever-increasing number, currently 100, of pro esports players pursuing full-time careers.
The partnership between the IOC and the NOC of Saudi Arabia comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has staged over 100 international events for both male and female athletes, including esports, football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian and golf, attracting over 2.6 million sports fans.
Overall sports participation levels have more than tripled since 2015 to almost 50% of the country’s population. The number of sports federations has also increased threefold during this time, from 32 to 98.
Women’s sport in particular has witnessed rapid growth. There are now also over 330 000 registered female athletes and nearly 40 women’s national teams competing internationally. In addition to the practice of sport, reforms to regulations ensure there is female representation on the boards of all sports federations, with over 100 women now appointed, including seven female federation presidents. Additionally, all female and male athletes receive exactly the same level of pay when on national duty in their sport.
Following Tuesday’s decision, work will begin immediately on selecting a city and venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games, the specific timing of the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for the players and further details.
At the same time, the IOC will create a new dedicated structure within its organisation, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games. In order to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC will also take a different approach with regard to the financing and organisation of these Games.
The IOC has emphasised that International Federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC’s first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.
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