Maiden Olympic Esports Week host Singapore

Article posted by Coliseum, November 18^th, 2022

Image: IOC

On November 16^th, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that its inaugural Olympic Esports Week will take place in Singapore between June 22^nd and June 25^th, 2023. The announcement marks the next major step in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement and engaging further with competitive gamers.

‘IOC’ stated that in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), the Olympic Esports Week will showcase the best of virtual sports – hybrid physical and simulated sports – with the four-day festival, including exhibiting the latest technologies, panel discussions, education sessions, and show matches.

Lausanne (Switzerland)-based the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a not-for-profit, civil, non-Governmental, international organization made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss Civil Code. It redistributes more than 90 percent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.2 million goes to help athletes and sports organizations at all levels around the world.

Singapore-based Sport Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. It is the lead agency tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for the nation.

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) is the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the Republic of Singapore. It was founded in 1947 as the Singapore Olympic and Sports Council before renaming to its current iteration in 1970.

‘IOC’ further stated that the highlight of the week will be the first in-person live finals of the Olympic Esports Series, a global virtual and simulated sports competition created in collaboration with the International Federations (IFs) which builds on the successes of last year’s Olympic Virtual Series. The 2021 series attracted over 250,000 participants from across 100 countries to take part in competitions in virtual and simulated sports including baseball, motorsport, cycling, rowing, and sailing.

The Olympic Virtual Series creates a stage to connect the physical sporting world with the virtual and simulation sports gaming community, providing an opportunity to engage with the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Virtual Series events are aimed at maximizing online participation and prioritizing inclusivity to mobilize gamers, esports and virtual sport enthusiasts around the world.

Speaking about the announcement, IOC President Thomas Bach said, “The first Olympic Esports Week marks an important milestone in our ambition to support the growth of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement. We believe the exciting new format of our virtual sports competition, with live finals to be staged for the first time, is an opportunity to collaborate further with esports players and to create new opportunities for players and fans alike. It is a perfect opportunity to be partnering with Singapore, which has a history of supporting innovation in the Olympic Movement, hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, so we are looking forward to working together closely.”

Noted Ng Ser Miang, SNOC Board Member and IOC Vice-President, “The Singapore NOC shares the Olympic Movement’s ambitions of exploring the development of virtual sports. Singapore has a track record of successfully hosting some of the biggest events in the virtual sports and esports calendar – we are honored to be collaborating with the IOC to bring this shared vision to life.”

Details, including how to be part of the first Olympic Esports Week and Olympic Esports Series, will be revealed in early 2023.

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