IOC in 'advanced' talks for Olympic Esports Games

An Olympic Esports Games is being considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) board, with an upcoming vote set to decide the outcome.

The IOC said it is in "advanced discussions" with a potential host and an announcement is expected soon once "the last formalities" have been finalised.

"With the creation of Olympic Esports Games, the IOC is taking a major step forward and is keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution," said IOC President Thomas Bach.

Esports refers to a range of competitive video games played by professionals across the world.

Often hosted in stadiums, events are televised and streamed online.

In September 2023, China made history at the Covid-delayed 2022 Asian Games when they won the first esports gold medal at a multi-sport event.

That came after esports was included as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

After that, the IOC launched the 'Olympic Esports Week' in Singapore in June 2023, which brought together the Olympic and esports communities.

Esports was not included as a demonstration sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics despite the IOC being "deep in talks" on the matter.