The Ukrainian Esports Federation announced on the 7th of September the recognition of esports as an official sport in the country. This comes after a year of discussions between the federation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the International Esports Federation.
This will simplify the visa application process for foreigners who want to come to Ukraine to vie for an international video game prize. Local esports organisations can now register legal entities in Ukraine and hire local players more easily.
The fact that the Ukraine government now takes esports seriously means that esports may bring additional profits to the country’s economy. Ukraine can attract foreign investments and host esports tournaments with large audiences, while Ukrainian players can go to international esports competitions and apply for visas as athletes, rather than as tourists.
Esports organisations can from now on officially work on different projects with the government, promote their activities and organise competitions at schools and universities.
Ukraine can become a European mecca for esports. The country has professional esports teams like Natus Vincere, known as NaVi, which are recognized around the globe. On the 15th of July, Ukrainian entrepreneur Alexander Kokhanovskyy, the founder of NaVi, bought Kiev’s central Dnipro Hotel together with unnamed partners for USD 41 million to turn it into an “esports ecosystem.” The Dnipro will be the first hotel in Europe entirely dedicated to esports.
