The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the roadmap for the inaugural Olympic Esports Games, set to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, with the road to the games starting this year.
The announcement came as Minister of Sport and president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal met Tuesday with IOC president Thomas Bach, along with his accompanying delegation, at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh.
The launch of the roadmap aims to provide participants from around the world with a progressive experience leading up to the historic, first-of-its-kind event in 2027. Additionally, the IOC confirmed the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in October 2023, as the founding partner of the Olympic Esports Games.
The IOC-EWCF partnership seeks to bridge the gap between traditional and electronic sports, enhancing opportunities for teams from around the world. The foundation brings extensive experience as a nonprofit organization in managing, organizing, and selecting electronic games for previous global esports championships.
The sport minister expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and HRH the Crown Prince for their generous and unprecedented support, which has positioned Saudi Arabia as a hub for major sporting events. He added that the IOC confirmation of Saudi Arabia as the host of the first Olympic Esports Games underscores the international community’s confidence in the kingdom’s excellence and its prominent role in the global sports landscape.
During the meeting, Bach stated that “there is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games.”
“With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the games are becoming a reality,” Bach said, commending this as “further evidence of the strength of the partnership between the IOC and the SOPC in many areas.”
In a statement the IOC praised the significant growth in Saudi Arabia’s sports sector since 2015, highlighting that the nation has staged over 100 international sporting events across various disciplines, including football, esports, motorsports, tennis, equestrian, and golf. The IOC noted that community participation in sports in Saudi Arabia has more than tripled since 2015 to around 50% of the population.
To manage the first Olympic Esports Games, a joint committee of the SOPC and the IOC was established, co-chaired by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki and IOC member Ser Miang Ng, along with several other members.
Content Courtesy – Saudi Press Agency
