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AESF welcomes the announcement made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Mr. Thomas Bach, on the creation of Olympic Esports Games during his opening speech at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India.

In his address, Mr. Bach stated, “There are 3 billion people playing Esports and gaming around the world. It is estimated that over 500 million of them are specifically interested in Esports, which includes virtual sports and sports simulations. What is more relevant to us is that the majority of them are under the age of 34.” Mr. Bach mentioned that the IOC has taken the strategic decision to engage with Esports in a holistic way and has chosen an approach to be active in the Esports space while staying true to Olympic values. 

_{Photo credit: IOC}

The Olympic movement is embracing Esports in recent years, and the Asian Esports industry is leading the way. The major Asian multi-sports events, including the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, have included Esports as an official medal sport.

AESF actively promotes the further integration of Esports into the Olympics. At the AESF's 3rd Executive Board Meeting, AESF President Mr. Kenneth Fok, mentioned that AESF's mission is not solely focused on organizing Esports events but also on bringing the Esports community closer to the Olympic community and National Olympic Committees.

AESF has collaborated with publishers on the adaptation of popular mobile shooting game, such as PUBG Mobile, which was renamed as 'Peace Elite Asian Games Version,' as well as MOBA game, such as Arena of Valor, which was renamed as 'Arena of Valor Asian Games Version,' during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Both of the adaptations have been made to comply with Olympic values, and the changes provide a good stage for athletes from various countries and regions to compete while also presenting the core values of sports, such as equality, respect, and fairness.

AESF has established the Publisher Commission for the first time, and we will continue to collaborate with publishers to further cooperate and deliberate on game adaptations that fully conform to Olympic values and the Olympic movement. AESF looks forward to cooperating with the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Committee (AINAGOC) for the upcoming 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, as Esports has been designated as one of the official medal sports.