What you don’t know about the Asian Games： Who will make the rules of the e-sports competition？ Can you enter the Olympics in the future？

　　Xinhua News Agency, Hangzhou, September 11th　Question: What you don’t know about the Asian Games: Who will make the rules of the e-sports competition? Can you enter the Olympics in the future?

　　Xinhua News Agency reporters Zhao Jiantong and Ji Jiadong

　　The pace of the Asian Games in Hangzhou is approaching, and the attention of sports fans to various events is gradually heating up. E-sports can be said to be one of the "top streams" of this Asian Games. According to the ticketing scheme, e-sports is not only the most expensive ticket in the final as high as 1000 yuan, but also the only event that requires lottery to buy tickets, so its popularity can be seen.

　　So what are the events in the e-sports competition of Hangzhou Asian Games? Who will make the rules of each event? After the Asian Games, can e-sports join the Olympic family in the future?

　　The e-sports competition of Hangzhou Asian Games was held from September 24th to October 2nd in Hangzhou E-sports Center, China, and produced 7 gold medals. According to official website of Hangzhou Asian Games, there are seven events in this e-sports competition, namely League of Legends, the glory of the king (Asian Games version), Peace Elite (Asian Games version), Knife Tower 2, Dream of Three Kingdoms 2, Street Fighter 5 and FIFA Online 4.

　　In addition to Street Fighter 5, the China team will compete in the other six games. According to industry analysis, the glory of the king, Peace Elite, Dream of Three Kingdoms 2 and other projects will be the potential gold medals for China. Different from the performance events in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the gold medal of this e-sports event will be included in the medal list.

　　E-sports, as a new type of sports, its competition forms are different with different categories and platforms, and the corresponding schedule system and rules are also various. Fans who are concerned about e-sports will have questions. Compared with individual e-sports events with clubs as the unit, e-sports will become the official event of large-scale intercontinental comprehensive events for the first time. How can teams from different countries and regions in Asia be accommodated?

　　It is reported that the e-sports events of the Hangzhou Asian Games will be decided by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (hereinafter referred to as the "Asian Electronic Sports Federation") through consultation. During the whole preparation process, the copyright owners of the games kept communicating and integrating with the OCA, Asian Sports Federation, Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and other institutions, and established a set of universal standardized standards applicable to e-sports events in the Asian Games.

　　Among them, the setting that can be used for reference for the future "e-sports included in large-scale comprehensive events" is that the glory of the king and Peace Elite respectively launched the Asian Games version. It is understood that the Asian Games version of the glory of the king has bridged the differences between different versions of heroes at home and abroad, and the peaceful elite has also eliminated the relatively "violent and bloody" escape and shooting. In addition, the two games canceled many commercial settings and some extended gameplay, which also made the game more fair and concise.

　　Judging from the feedback from all parties before the opening of the Asian Games, the formal combination of e-sports and the Asian Games is a win-win marriage for the e-sports industry and traditional sports competitions represented by the Asian Games.

　　Hong Xiao, an expert in e-sports industry and CEO of Perfect World, said: "The entry of e-sports into Asia is a milestone event, which not only means that e-sports will further move towards sports, but also promote the popularization and standardized development of e-sports."

　　In Asia, sports and popularization of e-sports have become a trend. In July this year, the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia was held in Bangkok. It was announced at the meeting that e-sports would become the official event of the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games. The Asian Sports Federation also announced that it will hold the Asian Cup of Electronic Sports in 2024. In addition, the Pan-American Games held in Chile in October this year will also host the Pan-American E-sports Championship.

　　In the future, can e-sports go further and become an official event of the Olympic Games?

　　International Olympic Committee President Bach said at a press conference in 2020: "Will e-sports be considered for inclusion in the Olympic Games one day? The answer is yes. It depends on when this day comes. "

　　This year, the International Olympic Committee frequently released the signal of "embracing" e-sports. In June, the first Olympic E-sports Week was held in Singapore, which was the first offline event named "Esports" under the International Olympic Committee. In September, the International Olympic Committee announced the establishment of a new e-sports committee, which also triggered many reverie of global sportsmen.

　　In the discourse system of the International Olympic Committee, there is a strict distinction between Virtual Sports and electronic game competition in concept, and in terms of the prospect of entering the Olympic Games, the organization once said that the priority would be virtual sports, such as cycling and taekwondo, which require real physical exercise for participants.

　　Although there have always been strict standards and procedures for the inclusion of new sports, the International Olympic Committee has maintained an open attitude towards the "young wave". From the perspective of skateboarding, break dancing and surfing, it may really be only a matter of time before e-sports enter the Olympics.