Gaming IndustryThe first-ever Olympic Esports Games are coming in 2025, and of course they’re being held in Saudi ArabiaWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Gaming IndustryThe first-ever Olympic Esports Games are coming in 2025, and of course they’re being held in Saudi ArabiaWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A year after putting on an Olympic esports event thatdidn’t include any actual esports games, the International Olympic Committee has joined up with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to do it for real in the first-ever Olympic Esports Games, set to be held in 2025.
The Olympic Esports deal between the IOC and Saudi Arabia is planned to run for 12 years, with events held “regularly” over the duration.
“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great—if not unique—expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in theannouncement(viaInsider Gaming). “The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience.
That’s pretty rich given that Saudi Arabia recently sentenced women’s rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi to11 years in prisonfor crimes like calling for an end to the country’s oppressiveguardianship lawand “going to the shops without wearing an abaya.”
But never mind that: Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s minister of sport and president of its Olympic committee, said the deal represents “a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.”
“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve,” Al Faisal said.
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The Olympic esports deal comes amidst what the IOC described as “a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia,” which has driven a significant rise in sports participation at all levels amongst men and women alike. The announcement notes particularly that there are now “over 330,000 registered female athletes and nearly 40 women’s national teams competing internationally,” and that “reforms to regulations ensure there is female representation on the boards of all sports federations.”
“Witnessing the growing trends of female participation in esports is very exciting,” IOC member Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud said. “I had the honour of working towards women’s empowerment in sport and in society as whole under Vision 2030, and the leadership of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous positive impact of sport for women and girls.”
The deal between Saudi Arabia and the IOC, which has faced its own laundry list ofcorruption allegationsover the years, is complete, but there’s still much work to be done, including selecting a city and venue for the event, determining which games will be included, and who will be allowed to compete. The IOC will also create “a new dedicated structure within its organization” to operate the Olympic Esports Games.
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