Esports will continue to be an official medal event in international Olympic-recognized events as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC) has announces that esports will be included as one of the nine new sports to be added in the 2026 Asian Games, the Asian Electronics Sports Federation reports.
The 2026 Asian Games will be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan. It will mark the third time the Asian Games has been held in Japan, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
While not the first Asian Games to have an esports event included in its activities, esports being part of the 2026 Asian Games shows that the sport is now already cementing its place in the Olympic sphere.
Esports is set to make its grand debut at an official medal event at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. This achievement will mark a significant step for the industry, further solidifying its position in the mainstream sports arena. Showcased initially as a demonstration sport in 2018, esports will now be an integral part of the multi-national event.
The upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, will be held from September to October this year, and will be including esports, with 8 medal events and 2 demonstration events, including Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Dream of the Three Kingdoms 2, EA Sports FC, Hearthstone, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile, and Street Fighter V.
