The integration of eSports with mainline sports disciplines in India received a significant boost from the Government on Tuesday.
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, exercised powers granted by clause (3) of article 77 of the Constitution to amend the rules governing eSports. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Sports Ministry were directed to include eSports as part of multi-sports events.
There has been a growing demand for the inclusion of eSports in multi-discipline events ever since it was showcased as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. However, medals won in eSports were not counted in the official overall medals tally.
Following the President’s notification on December 23, with the IT Ministry serving as the nodal agency for online gaming-related matters and the sports ministry incorporating it into their curriculum, this announcement comes as a welcomed support for eSports enthusiasts.
The International Olympic Association (IOC) is also making strides in popularizing eSports. Singapore has been confirmed to host the inaugural Olympic eSports Week in June next year.
This marks a significant step towards integrating virtual sports with the Olympic movement and engaging with competitive gamers. The four-day festival from June 22 to 25 will showcase the best of virtual and hybrid physical and simulated sports, along with the latest technologies, panel discussions, education sessions, and show matches.
IOC President Thomas Bach stated that the inaugural Olympic eSports Week will be an important milestone in supporting the growth of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement.
The Indian DOTA 2 team secured bronze at the first Commonwealth eSports Championship held in Birmingham in August, defeating New Zealand.
The sport is set to make its debut at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next year.
In response to the inclusion of eSports as a mainline sport, Lokesh Suji, director of the eSports Federation of India and vice-president of the Asian eSports Federation, expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the fraternity.
“We have consistently worked towards differentiating eSports from iGaming, and our efforts have finally paid off. We welcome this announcement from our government, as it will create new investment opportunities in this booming industry.
“Moving forward, we must focus on developing proper infrastructure, training facilities, and coaching for our young eSports athletes. It won’t be long until we see eSports on par with traditional sports like cricket, football, and basketball, with a similar level of fan support, scale, and excitement,” said Suji.
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