Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The lines between a sport and a pastime have rarely been so blurred since the erotic modern classic of the same name was authored by James Salter and published in 1967.
The Olympic Council of Asia announced a partnership that will see the introduction of eSports (or gaming) as a demonstration sport in 2018 before the 2022 Asian Games will offer medals to the winners!
This appears to be at best, a nod to greater interest in online gaming, particularly in Asia, or at worst, a commercial reaction to Alisports, their new partner, sponsoring both the Olympics and Winter Olympics.
I appreciate that there is growing popularity to watch others participate and that recognised professional sports teams are jumping on the bandwagon.
The British Government has backed the International eGames Committee and enquired about inclusion in the Olympic programme while Alibaba, the Chinese parent of Alisports, has signed an 11-year sponsorship deal worth over $1bn to be associated with the Olympics.
West Ham United became the first Premier football club to get involved, signing ‘Dragonn’ after he finished second in the 2016 FIFA interactive World Cup with Manchester City quickly following suit. Paris St Germain has teamed up with Webedia and Shalke signed two FIFA gamers and a League of Legends team to both get involved with online gaming.
In 2016 the Philadelphia 76ers became the first North American sports team to acquire an eSports franchise and were followed earlier this year by the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
However, these are unashamedly commercial ventures aimed at tapping into an increasingly popular market and growing their own brands. Simply playing an online sport does not mean that one is engaged in a sport, in my opinion.
The very first part of the definition of a sport, rather than a pastime, is ‘an activity involving physical exertion…’. It may be fun and increasing in popularity. I’ve no doubt that it increases awareness of the games in question.
But it is not sport!
Can you imagine sending your child into school to sit behind a games console for their PE lesson? With increased digitisation in schools and this move from the Asian Games organisers, it becomes increasingly likely!
Even darts and snooker, long ridiculed for the lack of physical exertion, involve more effort than eSports.
The only upside, however ridiculous the original decision, is that I can now legitimately claim, as I sit on the sofa twiddling my thumbs in front of the TV screen, that I am training to win an Olympic medal!
