Is gaming a sport? Whilst many still disagree, eSports may be headed to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to bid committee co-president Tony Estanguet.
In talks with ESPN UK, Estanguet stated that talks with several ESports representatives and the IOC are underway to discuss the possibility of eSports joining the 2024 line-up of events.
“We have to look at it because we can’t say, ‘It’s not us. It’s not about Olympics. The youth, yes they are interested in Esports and this kind of thing. Let’s look at it. Let’s meet them. Let’s try if we can find some bridges. I don’t want to say ‘no’ from the beginning. I think it’s interesting to interact with the IOC, with them, the esports family, to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.”
Whilst the inclusion of gaming in 2024’s Olympics is very uncertain, this marks a huge potential step for the industry. The final decision of the event’s inclusion will take place after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. eSports will be featured at the 2018 Winter Games in Indonesia as a demonstration sport.
