We have witnessed many new additions to the Olympic Games over the years, and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, were no different. There were no less than five new sports in the 2020 Olympics, with baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding being the latest sports to be practised at the Olympic level.
In addition to the five new sports at the 2020 Olympics, fifteen new disciplines within existing sports were included, like 3×3 basketball, freestyle BMX and Madison cycling, to mention a few.
With surfing, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball among the latest additions, perhaps we could see Esports added to the Olympics in the future?
Esports for betting
Like other sports, Esports holds both competitions and tournaments where teams compete to become the best in the world in various games such as CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends. The sport has grown explosively in recent years and has become a favourite for betting. Indian betting sites found here https://www.sportsbetting24.in/betting-sites/, for example, have several Esports bets available.
Sports At the 2024 Paris Olympics
The debate regarding whether players are athletes when competing in Esport events has rumbled on for many years, and this may be the overriding factor in determining whether Esport can be included in the Olympic Games. How is it possible to determine whether a person competing in an Esports event is an athlete?
Perhaps the best place to start is with a definition of the word “athlete”. A definition from the Cambridge Dictionary says that an athlete is “a person who is very good at sport or physical activity”.
If you take the last section of the definition, there is no doubt that an Esportsplayer engages in physical activity. They are working the muscles in their arms and fingers as they control the characters or vehicles on the screen, which can be cumbersome.
Qualification Of Esports As A Sport
Many of the world’s leading Esports players have suffered injuries due to their activity, and playing the games at a high level on a regular basis is a huge strain on the body.
So in terms of physical training, it is a condition that is met for Esports players. However, some will say that sitting in a chair does not constitute physical training. Interestingly, there are several events at the Olympic Games during which participants sit.
Cycling and BMX events are good examples, and the competitors sit or have the option to sit in a seat when participating in a race. Rowing is another example of an Olympic sport during which participants sit down.
Playing E-Sports at the highest level also requires a lot of training and commitment. There are always plenty of good stories about an athlete coming to the Olympics, usually highlighting their dedication, work, and sacrifice to reach the Games.
The same goes for professional Esports competitors, who put in hours of training alongside the big events to excel in their field. Some Esports players have trained up to 50 hours a week, which is a lot of time.
There is little doubt that players meet the criteria of an athlete. It is at the discretion of the International Olympic Committee to put forward the idea of Esports as an event at future Games.
The IOC and professional Esports organizations have discussed the 2024 Olympics in Paris as a possibility for Esports’ debut, but that now seems unlikely. However, there has been discussion, which is promising for the future.
