Esports or online gaming is now included as an official event for the Asian Games 2023 for the first time. The Hangzhou games will feature seven esports this season. Indian teams will participate in – League of Legends, EA Sports FC Online, Dota 2 and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
At the 39th OCA General Assembly held on December 16, 2020; Esports got approved as the official medal sport at Asian Games. It is one of the most popular spectator events at the Asian Games. And thus, tickets got sold out through a ballot lottery due to its popularity.
“Asian esports have become a thriving industry, unleashing enormous potential and connecting people from different backgrounds, cultures, and countries,” Asian Esports Federation president Huo Qigang has previously told media, says Olympics.
According to the official website of the Hangzhou Asian Games, “In 1986, two kids were playing against each other at a Nintendo game televised live by ABC. That was when esports came into being.”
In the esports event, single, double or round-robin elimination will be followed. In round-robin elimination, participants or teams are eliminated after a certain number of losses. The gaming event will start from September 24 to October 2. Teams from China as well as Republic of Korea are expected to dominate in the esports categories.
The 19th Asian Games, taking place in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, involve over 12,000 athletes from all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia. This 15-day event will continue until October 8.
Indian squads for Asian Games:
- FIFA Online 4
Charanjot Singh and Karman Singh Tikka
- League of Legends
Akshaj Shenoy (captain), Samarth Arvind Trivedi, Mihir Ranjan, Aditya Selvaraj, Aakash Shandilya, and Sanindhya Malik
- DOTA 2
Darshan Bata (captain), Krish Gupta, Abhishek Yadav, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli
- Street Fighter V: Champion Edition
Mayank Prajapati and Ayan Biswas
The seven esports’ events
- League of Legends
- Arena of Valor Asian Games Version
- Peace Elite Asian Games Version
- Dota 2
- Dream Three Kingdoms 2
- Street Fighter V: Champion Edition
- EA SPORTS FC ONLINE