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Game on! Esports officially becomes a sport in Indonesia
Esports are set to be included in national sports competitions, with athletes to receive formal training from the Indonesian Esports Central Board (PB ESI).
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An esports player competes in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) or strategy video game. (shutterstock.com/Gorodenkoff/File)
T
he Youth and Sports Ministry and the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI) have recognized esports as a sports field, allowing video games to be contested in official competitions such as the National Games (PON).
The recognition was announced during the KONI’s national virtual meeting from Aug. 25 to 27. The government also inaugurated the Indonesian Esports Central Board (PB ESI) as an association to foster athletes and hold competitions.
PB ESI operational director, police general Comr. Gen. Bambang Sunarwibowo, said esports deserved to be recognized as an official sport because it required athletes to be skilled in “speed, agility and strategy, just like any other sports.”
Read also: What they talk about when they talk about Indonesian e-sports
He added that the sport had been included in national and international sport competitions, such as the 2018 Asian Games, which hosted competitions of video games such as League of Legends and Pro Evolution Soccer as demonstration events.
A year later, esports was contested in the medal program of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines.
KONI secretary-general Ade Lukman conveyed his support for esports’ future in the country. “Hopefully, under PB ESI, Indonesian esports athletes and teams can earn achievements at the international level and make the nation proud.”
The government has vowed to develop the gaming industry as well as esports as one of the drivers for the country’s economic growth.
