Recently the International Olympic Committee joined up with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to announce the first-ever Olympic Esports Games, set to be held in 2025. Now it's been made official, following a unanimous vote in favour by the IOC's executive board: a bit like that meme where Obama's giving himself a medal.
The Olympic Esports Games are planned for an initial run of 12 years, with events held "regularly", and IOC President Thomas Bach says this shows the IOC "keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution." He goes on to say that "the NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great—if not unique—experience in the field of esports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values." More on which shortly.
The IOC has been testing the waters with esports since 2018, and last year hosted an "Esports week" in Singapore (albeit without any actual esports). The IOC Esports Commission was then directed to devise how an Olympic Esports Games could serve "the interest of the esports community while respecting the Olympic values" and "the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience."
The latter may raise some eyebrows given the heavy Saudi involvement. HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Sport and President of their Olympic committees, said: "Thanks to Vision 2030 introduced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future… Together we all share the prospect of instilling the Olympic values in new and innovative ways."
For his part, Mohammed bin Salman doesn't care if people look at this and think Saudi Arabia is sportswashing its appalling human rights record: "If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by way of one percent," bin Salman told Fox News in 2023, "then I will continue doing sportwashing. I don't care."
IOC Member HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud says bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan "has delivered a wave of more than 150 reforms that have transformed society, empowering women and youth." The IOC release goes on to trumpet the growth of women's sports in Saudi Arabia since 2015, and measures such as equal pay. It neglects to mention women's rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi recently being sentenced to 11 years in prison, for the crimes of protesting Saudi Arabia's guardianship law and "going to the shops without wearing an abaya [a robe that covers almost all of the body]."
The confirmation of an Olympic Esports Games means work now begins on selecting a host city and venue for the event, the dates, the games to be included, and the qualification process. The IOC will also create a new structure within itself responsible for running the Olympic Esports Games, which will remain distinct from the Olympic Games themselves in both financing and organisation.
Whatever the politics behind these things, it is a fact that Saudi Arabia has an awful lot of money and various stakes in the gaming and esports industries. The Saudi Public Investment Fund has significant investments in Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, Take-Two Interactive, Nexon, Capcom, Nintendo, and many others. With esports it most notably acquired both the major esports organizer ESL Gaming and tournament platform FACEIT.
The principle of the Olympics is "to build a better world through sport", with the values of "excellence, respect and friendship". You be the judge.
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