The International Olympic Committee has announced its next step in celebrating and supporting esports. As revealed in a press release, it has been announced that there will be an inaugural Olympic Esports Week held in Singapore between the 22nd and the 25th of June next year, which will be a hybrid of physical and simulated sports.
It is the first event of its kind, and will feature the first in-person live finals of the Olympic Esports Series. The event ran virtually last year and attracted 250,000 participants from 100 countries, the IOC says. The competitors took part in virtual sports including baseball, cycling, racing, rowing and sailing.
The in-person week will also feature the latest tech, panel discussions, educational sessions and show matches, and has been developed in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Committee.
“The first Olympic Esports Week marks an important milestone in our ambition to support the growth of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement,” said IOC president Thomas Bach. “We believe the exciting new format of our virtual sports competition, with live finals to be staged for the first time, is an opportunity to collaborate further with esports players and to create new opportunities for players and fans alike.”
Further information on the Olympic Esports Week will be revealed in early 2023.
