NESA sets sights on first-ever esports Olympics
Esports
The Namibian Electronic Sports Association (NESA) has set the goal of producing qualifying athletes for the first-ever Olympic esports event next year in Saudi Arabia. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has created the Olympic Esports Games, which will be a separate Games held in 2025 and not part of the Summer or Winter Olympics.
During the prize-giving ceremony last Friday at the schools esports championship sponsored by My Zone, NESA president Flip de Bruyn expressed his excitement when the news was shared, stating that the prestigious event would be a stepping stone to expanding the sport.
Following the unanimous vote at the 142nd IOC Session last week, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said taking part in the Olympics is the ultimate honor any athlete can achieve.
“This is why the commitment is to provide the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform and for the Olympic spirit to be shared.
“The prospect of instilling the Olympic values in new and innovative ways is shared by all. We look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025,” he said.
The Olympic Esports Games represents a major step in legitimizing and mainstreaming esports within the global sports community. The decision of the IOC acknowledges the increasing popularity and competitive nature of this rapidly evolving field.
While the IOC has not yet announced which sports and games could be included in the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025, the games that were staged in the Olympic Esports Week in 2023 could be added, namely: Archery / Baseball / Chess / Cycling / Dance / Motorsport / Sailing / Shooting / Taekwondo / Tennis.
At the Olympic Esports Week 2023, the above-mentioned games were a combination of digital only games played on mobile devices and gaming controllers and also as games that featured a physical exercise element.
Street Fighter 6, NBA 2K23 and Rocket League were some of the exhibition events that were held at the Olympic Esports Week 2023.