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| (Image Source: Bernama.com/Olympic Council of Asia) |
Less than a year ago, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has officially added eSports to the list of sports disciplines that are officially included in the Asian Games in the foreseeable future two years after it made its debut in the 18th Indonesia Asian Games in 2018 as a demonstration sport. Fast forward to the Chefs de Mission Seminar held last September 8, 2021, the OCA has officially announced the list of titles for eSports' debut as an official medal sport for the 19th Asian Games that will take place in Hangzhou, China on September 2022.
There will be eight medal events, plus two demonstration events, reflecting the popularity and growth of gaming and professional gaming in China and across Asia and featuring some of the most popular and well-loved titles in the global gaming and eSports scene. The Hong Kong-based Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) has been appointed as the Technical Delegate for the 19th Asian Games' eSports competition. The AESF will be in charge of the qualifying competitions as well as the operations and management of the eSports competition in Hangzhou. The eight official events are the following:
1. Arena of Valor (AoV) Asian Games Version
2. DOTA 2
3. Dream Three Kingdoms 2
4. EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games
5. HearthStone
6. League of Legends (LoL)
7. PUBG Mobile Asian Games Version
8. Street Fighter V
On the other hand, the two demonstration events are: AESF Robot Masters and AESF VR Sports which are both powered by Migu.
“We hope that this announcement allows all participating teams ample time to prepare and equip themselves ahead of the qualifying stages. I believe we have ticked all the right boxes ensuring a high level of competition which promises great viewing for enthusiasts and casuals alike. We at the OCA are looking forward to working closely with our friends at the Asian Electronic Sports Federation and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee to ensure a successful execution of the esports event at the 2022 Asian Games," said OCA Director-General Husain Al-Musallam.
