The Asian Electronic Sports Federation has announced that the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games will feature esports as a medal sport.
The AESF confirmed the decision following a meeting with organisers of the Games in Thailand, which will take place in Bangkok and Pattaya next year. The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, also known as AIMAG, is a multi-sport event hosted every four years.
The Asian Electronic Sports Federation, Thailand Electronic Sports Federation, and the Olympic Committee of Thailand conducted a closed-door meeting that concluded to the inclusion of esports as a medal event. However, the committee has not spilled any further details about the event at the time of posting .
Esports Insider says: In a world where the Olympics realistically needs esports more than esports needs the Olympics, it certainly seems like it’s slowly but surely on the way. AIMAG has a decent history of utilising esports at this point though and seeing it reinstated as a medal event is not all that surprising.
“We are pleased to announce a successful and fruitful meeting between us and the Thailand Electronic Sports Federation and the National Olympic Committee of Thailand in regards to the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games,” an AESF statement read.
“With the objective of having AESF as the ‘Official Continental Esports Federation’ we can also confirm that for the first time in AIMAG’s history, Esports will be one of the official medal events.”
Four video game categories were contested at the games, including Hearthstone, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, The King of Fighters XIV, and Dota 2.
