Teresa Hoy 
By establishing a medal event, the 2022 Asian Games marked the formal beginning of the eSports era in global sports, with Thailand successfully claiming the inaugural medal. eSports have gained international attention in recent years, requiring the same level of dedication as traditional sports. It marks a promising beginning for eSports in Asia and around the world.
Medal-backed eSports are a wonderful addition, particularly for online casinos, which have been industry pioneers in pushing for eSports adoption in the gaming world for decades. The most proactive casinos have provided competitive environments for professional players through tournaments and intriguing promotions such as welcome bonuses. Reflecting on the 19th Asian Games, we’ll explore how the introduction of eSports with medal events marked a significant milestone in widening sports variety.
Reflecting on the 19th Asian Games
The 2022 Asian Games were held in Hangzhou, China, during September and early October 2023. The internationally acclaimed event was a multi-sport competition in which players from many countries battled for different medals. However, new eSports drew comparatively greater attention.
Hangzhou featured a number of local eSports contests prior to the major event, including Tencent’s Peacekeeper Elite League Spring Finals and NetEase’s Naraka: Bladepoint Wudao Zhengfeng Cup.
In the 2023 event, players competed in seven eSports titles: Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, Peace Elite Asian Games Version (also known as PUBG Mobile), DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA Sports FC Online (formerly known as FIFA Online 4), and League of Legends.
Interestingly, most guests wanted eSports tickets. As a result, the demand for lottery tickets increased significantly. Over 5 million people applied for the tickets, with the majority of them willing to pay outrageous fees. For example, the asking price for a game of EA Sports FC was around eight times that of other sports.
eSports spurred excitement around the region, particularly in China, where young fans are eager to learn more about the relatively new form of sports.
Outstanding Performances During The 19th Asian Games
eSports were as competitive as any other sport at the 19th Asian Games. Thailand, on the other hand, outperformed all other entrants and was the first to receive a medal. Thailand’s Teedech Songsaisakul received special recognition. Teedech became the first champion of EA Sports FC Online.
The youthful player won the gold medal after defeating fellow Thai player Phatanasak Varanan. Teedech emerged victorious in three consecutive games in a competition with a double-elimination format. The criteria eventually required Varanan to win the loser’s category in the preceding game against Korean player Kwak Jun-hyouk. Teedech, on the other hand, came out on top in the end, winning the winner’s category and securing the overall title.
Overall, the eSports events featured teams fighting for seven different medals across a variety of sports, including online soccer and other multi-player games. If anything, the event was an exhilarating experience for all guests, particularly those who competed in novel online sports for their respective countries.
The Long-Term Impact
The 2022 Asian Games eSports debut was a one-time event, but its impact is long-lasting. Looking back, the just finished games offered a positive picture of the future of eSports in Asia and throughout the world.
For starters, incorporating eSports within the Asian Games gave the games some respectability and added recognition to eSports teams. Although popular, eSports have not had such a significant opportunity in the spotlight. At most, the appreciation has been far lower than that of traditional athletic activities.
Including eSports in the list of games recognized for their significance elevated it to the status of one of them, making it worthwhile in all important ways. It served as a proof of concept, highlighting the value of contemporary leisure pursuits made feasible by the quick-paced digital age.
From another perspective, including eSports in the prestigious Asian Games motivates investment in its development. The games represented a country’s full commitment to adaptability and fostering an apparently worthwhile activity.
The tournament featured around 450 athletes from at least 30 different countries. More importantly, the governments of the participants were interested enough to direct money to their respective national teams, investing in their training, travel, and equipment accordingly.
Final Thoughts
The notion of medal-oriented eSports was introduced at the 2022 Asian Games, which had a considerably greater impact on the sports arena than previous editions.
In this aspect, it appears that eSports are gaining popularity in Asian countries and possibly over the world.
This effect was definitely exemplified during the most recent Asian Games when the burgeoning sport made its debut among the more well-known physical events.
Some countries have since allocated significant money to create national eSports facilities, while others have accelerated the legislative process. The globe may confidently anticipate far larger eSports events in the near future.
