Esports Suspended by the IOC, the Dream of Entering the Olympics is Getting Heavier

JAKARTA - The road to the Olympics for esports is winding again. The International Olympic Committee or IOC suspended the activities of the Esports Commission after Kirsty Coventry led the institution.

Kyodo News, which was reported on Sunday, May 3, quoted a source close to the matter, reporting that the Esports Commission's activities are currently suspended. This decision is a signal that the IOC under Coventry is not as aggressive as the era of Thomas Bach in pushing electronic sports onto the Olympic stage.

During Bach's time, esports had a wind. The Olympic Esports Series was held in Singapore in 2023. However, the direction changed after Coventry took office last June.

In January, Coventry sent a letter to members of the Esports Commission. He hinted that the IOC would review its stance on esports.

Esports is popular among young people, including in Indonesia. Large competitive game tournaments are always crowded. But at the Olympic level, the long-running debate is not over whether esports is worthy of being called a sport, or just a very popular digital competition?

The plan for the 2027 Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia was also canceled in October. The cancellation also canceled the IOC's 12-year contract with Saudi Arabia, which was originally made on the condition that the country routinely host esports events.

It's not just esports that's under evaluation. The IOC has also scrapped the idea of moving some Summer Olympics events to the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

The idea came up because the Summer Olympics are getting bigger. Los Angeles 2028 will compete for a record 36 sports. That number makes the burden of hosting heavier.

However, winter sports bodies refused. According to Kyodo sources, Coventry and those handling the issue said that the IOC would stick to the Olympic Charter, namely "only sports practiced on snow or ice are considered winter sports."

The decision practically closed off an option that the IOC had discussed. Esports is not yet on track. The summer branch still cannot be slipped into the Winter Olympics. In fact, the list of branches at the Summer Olympics continues to swell.

The next impact could be felt in Brisbane 2032. Due to cost concerns, the number of sports at the Olympics is expected to be cut quite a bit. Even the disciplines that are still maintained can lose some disciplines or competition numbers.