The discussion is recurring – are eSports a sport to be part of the Olympics or not? ESports that don’t make you sweat, that only require mental effort and not physical preparation, are in question.
However, amid so many debates and questions, there is still no consensus on the issue – perhaps there never will be.
However, many people still defend them as sports and that they should be included in the list of the Olympic Games.
On September 5th, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the creation of an official eSports Commission to discuss the electronic sports market, stating that this was the last step in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement. .
But, on the other hand, there are people who don’t agree, as is the case with the opinion of the president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), Paulo Wanderley, who gave the answer without hesitation on ESPN’s Bola da Vez program.
“It’s going to take a while for them to be considered eSports,” he said.
“I can’t be in favor (of inclusion in the Olympics). I don’t see you playing sports with keyboards and lowering your triglyceride levels, etc., like you can in sports,” said Wanderley.
“But it is a great source of income, it is a mega-business. They don’t need the Olympic world to strengthen themselves. I don’t know why this desire. If I were them I wouldn’t do it, it already serves their audience, which is growing”, added the IOC president.
eSports outside the Olympic Games
The biggest representative of Brazilian Olympic sport made a point of highlighting that he is not against eSports, he just doesn’t really see them in the Olympic Games.
At the beginning of the year, he was at an international esports event. And he guarantees that he is paying attention: if the IOC decides to include eSports in the Olympic schedule, Brazil will be prepared!
“I’m not against it. I went to watch, I was the only president of the Olympic committee who attended the Olympic eSports Week. At this event, with the approval of the IOC, they did not have the main games in their business. They are not sports associations, they are companies, it is private”.
He continues: “Whenever the International Olympic Committee says it will, we will form the best team in the world here in Brazil. But for now, no. As long as the Olympic Committee doesn’t put the hammer down, no,” he said.
Meanwhile, the lobby for Olympic inclusion continues.
eSports will be an exhibition sport at the Pan American Games, which start this week in Chile. There will be two games: eFootball 2023 and Dota 2. Brazil will compete with a duo in the football game.
However, eSports remain far from the Olympics
However, eSports remain far from the Olympics
