The Olympic Esports week will run from June 22 – June 25 next year in Singapore, the International Olympic Committee has announced.
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,” says 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.
“It is a perfect opportunity to be partnering with Singapore, which has a history of supporting innovation in the Olympic Movement, hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, so we are looking forward to working together closely.”
