- International Olympic Committee has confirmed creation of Olympic Esports Games
- First edition of the Olympic Esports Games will be held in Saudi Arabia
- IOC president has hailed a new era for the Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that it has created the Olympics Esports Games, with the first edition to be held soon.
The IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia for 12 years for the organisation of the games. The first edition will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year.
New era
“This is truly a new era for the IOC,” said Thomas Bach, IOC president. “With the confirmation of 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.”
Promising future
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, added that esports in Saudi Arabia already has a rich past, an exciting present and 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.”
Following the decision, work has now begun to select a city and venue for the Olympic Esports Games, along with the timing of it, titles to be included, the qualification process for players as well as other details.
