Esports to be considered at Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have confirmed they will host a forum to discuss the possibility of including esports in the Olympic Games.

The IOC and Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) will hold the event at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on the 21st July.

Riot Games chief executive Nicolo Laurent, Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Morhaime along with players, sponsors and event organizers will educate members of the IOC and GAISF about the esport industry.

Kit McConnell, IOC Sports director, said:  “[This forum is] a great opportunity for both the Olympic Movement and representatives from the world of esports and gaming to begin a discussion, listen and learn from each other, and understand the potential opportunities for collaboration.”

In February of this year, the IOC partnered with Intel and ESL to host at Intel Extreme Masters Starcraft II event ahead of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

The IOC and other Olympic leaders discussed esports at a summit last Autumn and determined esports could be considered a sporting activity and that its growth and popularity with younger demographics would be attractive to the Olympic Games.