Esports to be a medal event at 2022 Asian Games

The Olympic Council of Asia in April 2017 announced a partnership with Alisports to introduce esports as a demonstration sport at 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, with full-fledged inclusion in the official sporting programme at the Hangzhou Games in 2022.

Alisports is the sports arm of Chinese online retail giant Alibaba.

The decision signifies that esports are one step closer to being featured in the Olympic Games.

The Asian Games in 2022 will be the first time that esports competitors can receive medals at an officially recognized Olympic event.

Esports will also be as a demonstration sport at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in September 2017. The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will feature Fifa 2017, MOBA games and real-time action games like StarCraft or Civilization.

However, the Olympic Council of Asia has not yet announced the specific video games that will be a part of the next two Asian Games.

About Asian Games

• The Asian Games is a Pancontinental multi-sport event.

• It is held every four years among athletes from all over Asia.

• The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India in 1951.

• Since the 1982 Games, they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

• The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

• It is described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

• The most recent games was held in Incheon, South Korea from 19 September to 4 October 2014.

• The next games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from 18 August to 2 September 2018.

• The 2022 Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China from 10 September to 25 September 2022.