Despite its popularity eSports is on the outer when it comes to the Olympics movement with the President claiming “violence” is a problem.
Thomas Bach said the “so-called killer games” which promote violence or discrimination cannot be accepted into the Games despite heavy lobbying at the Asian Games for inclusion.
“If you have egames where it’s about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values,” he said.
Back in July, the IOC held an esports forum to discuss whether it could be represented at the Olympics.
But for Mr Bach, who won an Olympic gold medal in fencing, esports need to be less violent before being included.
“Of course, every combat sport has its origins in a real fight among people. But sport is the civilized expression about this,” he said.
By 2020, it’s predicted esports will generate A$1.9 Billion in global revenue.
Esports is no longer considered niche – with a global audience of around 320 million people. And of course, the debate on what actually constitutes a sport goes around and around.
