The organization had put forward a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), asking about information as to how to receive recognition for competitive gaming as part of the Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee responded to the request, explaining the process and steps to take to have e-Sports recognized as an Olympic sport.
In an interview to Sputnik, the Secretary General at IeSF, Alex Lim, explained what it means to be recognized by the Olympic Committee.
“For a sport, being recognized by the IOC does not exactly mean that such sport becomes an Olympic sport, but it means that such sport can be a candidate to become Olympic sport. So, to become an Olympic sport and be represented in the Olympic Games, first e-sport should be recognized by the IOC. We have applied for being represented in Olympic Games and shall be reviewed by IOC or the organizing committee of certain Olympic Games,” Lim explained.
He further said that for Tokyo 2020, the official programs and sport disciplines have already been finalized. Therefore, it will not be possible for e-sports to be presented in 2020.
“But we will follow the procedure set by the IOC step by step as aiming to become Olympic sport one day is our final goal,” the secretary general said.
Talking about the IeSF’s future plans, Lim said that in the meantime, they plan to cooperate with any international sports authorities such as the Olympic Council of Asia, Sport Accord, and even the IOC for any movement to support Olympic association and Olympic Charter set by IOC.
It's worth noting that this is the second time this year that some measures have been taken to make e-Sports a part of the Olympic events.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the British government gave its support to the International eGames Committee (IeGC) to host an e-Sports event in Rio de Janeiro alongside this year's Olympic Games.
