Click Here: As popularity of competitive gaming grows, could ‘Olympic Esports Games’ be next?
The International Olympic Committee is looking to attract and retain young audiences through a new set of sports. During the Paris Summer Games this summer, the IOC is preparing to vote on a proposal to create the “Olympic Esports Games.”
What was once seen as a distraction is now receiving a newfound appreciation among the Olympics.
“There’s tons of video gaming competitions that are already huge that are seen around the world,” video gamer Austin Manengu said. “So putting it in a place like the Olympics would make it a win [and] make it known to a lot more people. And I think it has its place in the Olympics finally.”
Just like traditional sports, the competitive world of video games has its own leagues, competitions and its share of famous athletes and fans, now considered as esports.
“The more esports out there, the more people want to go bigger, professionalize themselves to be in esports, just like you want to be a basketball player and you want to be a pro,” video gamer CJ Louey said. “[It’s the] same thing here. And I think it’s great.”