E-Sport OP-ED: Esports In The Olympic Games

Name: Professor’s Name: Course: Date: E-Sport Op-Ed What is a sport? The traditional understanding of the term sport was an activity that is physically taxing. Going with this traditional understanding, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may have to review its list of games. Chess, for example, is on the list of IOCs recognized international sports. There is no physical movement involved while playing chess and the competitors can seat for hours while moving their arms from time to time. So, why is there so much objection to the idea of incorporating esports into the Olympic games? Like chess, esports entails limited movement and is not physically taxing like running a marathon. However, in both games, competitors are expected to engage their minds at a high level in order to outduel each other. For esports, the pressure is more enhanced because a person is supposed to make split-second decisions which determine their success or failure. Putting the physical aspect of sports aside, beyond a reasonable doubt, esports should be universally considered a sport and then be included in the Olympic Games. Athletes spend hours on the training ground as they hone their skills in the hope of gaining an edge over their opponents. This means they have to eat the right food, have enough rest, and engage in a routine that improves them physically and psychologically. It takes a lot of sacrifice for the likes of Usain Bolt to do what they do and maintain the same level of competitiveness. Any average player of a game like the Call of Duty World League spends hours sharpening their skills and trying to make sure they have the right “motor skill control” says Stafford from the Polygon. This player has also to find the perfect strategy to make sure he/she emerges the winner. Like the athlete, an average Call of Duty World League player will spend hours every single day as they seek to improve themselves as well. It may not be as physically taxing, but the level of sacrifice can be compared to that of high-performance athletes. It should also be noted that the acceptance or recognition of esports in social culture is soaring. In the U.S., for examp...