The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended the activities of its Esports Commission. This was reported by Kyodo News, citing a source familiar with the situation, as relayed by UNN.
Details
The potential participation of electronic sports in the Olympic Games was considered under the previous IOC President Thomas Bach; however, under the current President Kirsty Coventry, this process is likely to slow down as she focuses more on traditional sports.
Coventry, who took office last June, sent letters to commission members in January proposing a review of the IOC's approach to esports.
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The Olympic Esports Series took place in Singapore in 2023 during Bach's tenure; however, the Olympic Esports Games, scheduled for 2027 in Saudi Arabia, were canceled last October.
This led to the termination of the IOC's 12-year contract with Saudi Arabia, which provided for the regular holding of such competitions.
At the same time, the IOC is also abandoning a potential plan to move some summer sports to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps, another source reported.
According to the source, under Coventry's leadership, the idea of curbing the expansion of the Summer Olympics—which will include a record 36 sports in Los Angeles in 2028—was considered, but international winter sports federations opposed such changes.
The source noted that Coventry and other officials informed IOC members that for the foreseeable future, the organization will adhere to the Olympic Charter, according to which "only sports practiced on snow or ice are considered winter sports."
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