Should e-sports come to Olympics?
It was being speculated for quite some time that the growing fad of e-sports would make it go all the way to Olympics sooner than later. However, recently International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach suggested otherwise and received huge rebuke from video game fanatics all over the world. For those who have been spending hours or rather wasting hours sitting in front of a screen all day and explaining the world how e-sports will make them famous one day are definitely in for a disappointment.
That being said, let us also acknowledge that people are earning in the world of e-sports and if reports are to be believed e-sports earnings are at an all time high. Twelve of the e-sports are paying as much as $1 million as prize amount. This makes us wonder if e-sports should already be welcomed into Olympics.
Yes
1. A career already
E-sports are already becoming a prime time profession, with lead players of the most popular games earning tons of money. These sports are also gaining massive support as well as sponsorship by top companies like BMW. It is evident that youth is and will be attracted to it. Why not make it official already by introducing it in Olympics?
2. Keeping up with time
Olympics have to keep in mind the interests of youth of the present generation. The definition of sports is changing and sports are no more confined to physical activities of predetermined nature. Mind games are also given equal importance like chess.
3. Physical exertion is involved
Some amount of physical exertion, better reflexes as well as coordination is required in e-sports too. It is wrong to rule out e-sports from Olympics on grounds that there is no physical activity involved as suggested by IOC president.
4. More viewers
More viewers and more sponsorship would be attracted to Olympics if e-sports could be given a place. It would eventually lead to better prize money to athletes.
No
1. Physical fitness
Apart from the fact that the spirit of Olympics have always been about physical strength, mortar reflexes and fitness, it is worth noting that e-sports makes a person extremely lazy, in most cases obese and sometimes causes injury to hands and fingers of those who play them for prolonged period of time. This is absolutely against the spirit of Olympics.
2. Changing fads
While a particular video game might be extremely popular as of now, it might not draw the same enthusiasm from the crowd after a few years when better and more exciting games come up with technologically advanced facade. It would only lead to unnecessary wastage of the time of youth to concentrate on one game only to know that it gets ruled out in the next couple of years.
3. Chess didn’t make it
Chess, bowling and billiards didn’t make it to Olympics yet for the same reason that there was no exertive physical activity involved. There is no chance for video games in the scenario when these extremely popular and competed games didn’t make it.
4. Violence
Even if e-sports would make it to Olympics, fans would be disappointed as the most popularly played video games would not be played. They are always violent, including explosions and killing.
It would be better if e-sports would rather have a separate event of their own like e-Olympics instead of mixing it up with the existing culture of sports at Olympics.
