The Asian Olympic Council has revealed the titles for esports’ first appearance as a recognized medal sport at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September 2022.
Eight medal events will be held in addition to two demonstration games, highlighting the popularity and development of electronic sports in China and Asia. The names of the games were announced on Wednesday, September 8, on the first day of the two-day Chefs de Mission Seminar video conference for the 19th Asian Games.
Mr. Husain Al-Musallam, Director General of the OCA, stated: “We hope that this notification provides enough time for all participating teams to prepare and equip themselves ahead of the qualifying rounds.”
According to the official AESF application, the titles were selected based on factors that fulfilled the standards, including the AESF’s and the Olympic Council of Asia’s Olympic Values (OCA). “I think we have checked all the necessary boxes in terms of guaranteeing a high level of competitiveness that will provide excellent watching for both aficionados and casuals.” Mr. Husain continued.
“We at the OCA look forward to collaborating closely with our colleagues at the Asian Electronic Sports Federation and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee to ensure the esports event at the 2022 Asian Games is a success.”
The OCA has selected the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, headquartered in Hong Kong, China, as Technical Delegate for the esports competition at the 19th Asian Games. The AESF will oversee the qualifying competition as well as the administration and management of the Hangzhou esports tournament.
The eight official events, and publishers, are:
- Arena of Valor Asian Games Version
- Dota 2
- Dream Three Kingdoms 2
- EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games
- HearthStone
- League of Legends
- PUBG Mobile Asian Games Version
- Street Fighter V
The two demonstration events are:
- AESF Robot Masters-Powered by Migu
- AESF VR Sports-Powered by Migu
The integration of Robot Masters and Virtual Reality Sports creates many possibilities for e-sports development and growth. By giving a platform on Asia’s biggest stage, the addition of VR and robots demonstrates that Esports is much more than video games.
