Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Video gaming will be featured as a full sport at the 2022 Asian Games, with competitors in electronic sports set to receive medals for their digital prowess.
The Olympic Council of Asia says it will introduce esports to the official program of the Asian Games at Hangzhou, China. It will also be a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia.
The OCA said the decision reflects "the rapid development and popularity of this new form of sports participation among the youth."
The council is collaborating with Alisports, a unit of China's Alibaba Group, to bring esports to the games. No details were given on which video games would be included.
The Asian Games features a wide range of traditional Olympic sports along with others containing more regional appeal. Some of the more obscure sports include sepak takraw, which combines features from soccer and volleyball, and kabaddi, a contact team sport that evolved in and is dominated by India.
The sports program has also included a variety of martial arts, contract bridge, jet-ski racing and sport climbing.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
