The International Olympic Committee announced a 12-year partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia.
According to the IOC official announcement, Saudi Arabia will host the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games in 2025 with further editions held “regularly.” The announcement comes a month after IOC president Thomas Bach said that a plan for introducing esports games in the Olympics program is to be approved this month in Paris, at the XXXIII Olympiad.
Full details on the Olympic Esports Games are to be released at a later date. However, the IOC aims to develop a new structure that will be focused on esports, and will be separate from its usual operations. In the official release, it is also stated that the IOC will have “to create a new dedicated structure within its organisation, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games “
We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders. The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
IOC’s partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia is not completely surprising considering how much the Saudi Government has got involved in the industry. The currently ongoing Esports World Cup held in the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh features 22 different competitions in 21 game titles and is fully backed by the Saudi Government’s Public Investment Fund.
Women’s representation at Olympic Esports Games
Despite hosting so many competitions, EWC has only one tournament for the women's esports scene. In today’s announcement, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, an IOC Member, member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Women’s Committee, touched on the equal representation of sports athletes in the Kingdom and her involvement with the Olympic Esports Games.
Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud:
“Witnessing the growing trends of female participation in esports is very exciting. I had the honour of working towards women’s empowerment in sport and in society as whole under Vision 2030, and the leadership of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous positive impact of sport for women and girls. I look forward to the Olympic Esports Games as an opportunity for more female participation from across the globe in a safe and inclusive space.”
IOC President Thomas Bach:
“The Women’s Committee under the leadership of IOC Member Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud was essential in advancing women’s sport in Saudi Arabia. They worked closely with the NOC of Saudi Arabia to achieve this progress. Having their support to advance female participation also in esports is a valuable commitment. We are looking forward to our cooperation.”
Olympic Esports Games titles
The IOC is yet to announce which game titles will be included in the Olympic program and if any of the biggest titles in esports will find a place at the Olympics at all. The next step on the IOC agenda is to select a city and a venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games and decide on a specific timing of the event, the titles to be included and the qualification process.
However, the IOC has “emphasised that International Federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC’s first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.”
This hints that the Olympic Esports Games might actually include a similar format used last year at the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore, with traditional sports simulation such as Archery, Cycling, Football or Basketball being the main target.
