Cybersport is similar to traditional sports in many ways. Teamwork, strategy, skill and competition are qualities of both traditional football and eSports. There are many parallels between esports and sports - teams, bets, fantasy leagues, and more. Gamingpost.net figured out why esports should be considered a sport.
Worldwide recognition
Countries take different positions concerning esports. In South Korea, esports is very popular, so the government hasn't delayed its recognition as an official sport. In Germany, however, they very often object to this recognition. In the United States, e-sportsmen are treated on an equal footing with other athletes. They even offer athletic visas to visiting e-sportsmen.
The history of esports changed in 2014. Then the president of the American television channel ESPN said that esports is not a sport. But since then, his television network has struck several lucrative broadcast deals with major esports leagues.
Several German Olympic officials have compared esports to knitting. Despite this attitude, Germany is considered one of the largest esports regions in Europe. It trained world athletes in Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2.
Countries where e-sports is considered a sport
The Korea Cybersport Federation has been particularly active in seeking official recognition for esports around the world. It's no secret that South Korea is home to one of the largest esports markets in the world. Today, the United States, Finland and even a somewhat reserved Germany have recognized esports as a sport.
After South Korea, e-sport was recognized by China and South Africa. Later Russia, Italy, Denmark and Nepal joined. Ukraine became the last country to recognize esports as a sport. This happened in September 2020.
There is often controversy over the inclusion of esports in the Olympic Games. He has not yet been included in the official summer games. But esports competitions have been held at other Olympic events. For example, in the Asian Games, this discipline has been included for a long time.
The future of e-sports
From the very beginning, esports has been called a fashion statement and a minor trend. Today, it's safe to say that the critics were wrong. Esports has grown to a billion-dollar industry with millions of fans and athletes around the world. In different parts of the world, there are more esports fans among the younger generation than sports fans.
Economic forecasts show that the esports industry will grow even more in the next few years. But esports also has problems. For example, problems with the physical and mental health of the players. Cybersportsmen have a unique status of “non-sports athletes”. A sedentary lifestyle leads to physical disorders of the body. With endless contracts, esports players can experience the same stress as regular athletes. Esports burnout is another problem the industry has yet to address.
In any case, esports has grown from a fun trend into a serious global sports community. The abundance of tournaments, new games and fans suggest that the popularity of esports will only gain momentum.
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