As fanatic esports fans, many of us have waited in optimistic anticipation for the first appearance of esports at an Olympic event. The 2018 Olympics seems like the perfect time to introduce esports to the roster considering South Korea is essentially the esports Mecca of the the world. In fact, according to Day9’s “A brief History of Esports”, over half of the the population of South Korea was playing the competitive 1v1 computer game Starcraft regularly as early as the 90’s. Although it seems we might have to wait as long as 2024 to see esports in the Olympics as official medal events, South Korea and esports competitors have found ways to be part of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Olympic Committee Shuts Down Esports
Why are esports not included in the 2018 Olympics? In South Korea the merit of a competitor is based on the relentless focus and disciplined training put into skill mastery rather than the amount of calories burned in the process. Unfortunately the Olympic committee holds onto traditional presumptions about what makes an athlete an athlete while the esports communities continue to try and drag stubborn minds into the modern era. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, demonstrated his unfamiliarity and distaste for esports last year when he said,
“We want to promote non-discrimination, non-violence, and peace among people. This doesn’t match with video games, which are about violence, explosions and killing.”
This statement is even more discouraging to esports fans in light of the Olympic Committee’s current stance that esports are not being included in the Olympics because they do not match the values of the Olympics. Of course almost anyone who knows anything about esports can tell you that not all video games are about violence, explosions and killing. On top of this, there are currently numerous Olympic events that are violent and, unlike esports, pose a real danger to the competitors involved.
Esports Grows Despite the Olympic Committee
Avid esports fans see the true unstoppable momentum of esports and the inevitable presence of esports in the 2018 Olympics. Beginning the games were 5 professional South Korean League of Legends players as part the torch ceremony as well as the Intel Extreme Masters Starcraft 2 tournament held in Pyeongchang alongside the official Olympic games. Not only did Intel and South Korea bring esports to the 2018 Olympics, they helped make esports history when Sasha Hostyn aka “Scarlet,” of Canada upset the Korean competitors and became the first woman to become an international esports champion.
Despite Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach trying to prevent moments like these, there is a strong hope for esports officially joining the Olympics in 2024. Wired.com had this to say about the 2024 games in France:
“We have to look at it because we can’t say, ‘It’s not us,’” said Tony Estanguet, Paris’s Olympic committee co-chair, in an Associated Press interview. “The youth, yes they are interested in esport…. Let’s look at it. Let’s meet them. Let’s try if we can find some bridges.”
John Bonini, Intel’s vice president of esports, shares this optimism. Like many esports advocates, he points out that professional gamers share more with traditional athletes than either might believe. Ten-hour days spent in training facilities. Nutritional and physical regimens to optimize performance. A focus intense enough to compete at an elite level.