Despite the similarity between esports and sports in their naming, a large group of people still don't believe that esports is a sport. But why is that?
While esports is quite similar to traditional sports like soccer, basketball and football, it still misses physical activity. When top competitors fight for an esports title on the global scene, they're usually sited down. Even the best Street Fighter games are sited down, staring at their screen and not out there throwing kicks and punches.
That's the main reason why the International Olympics Committee has had such a hard time embracing esports as an Olympic event. Even after investing their time at summits and conferences in an attempt to understand the booming gaming industry, the committee can't seem to overlook this simple concept. According to them, the Olympic players are revered for their excellent physical performance.
Are esports a sport?
While the IOC and some top Olympic athletes might be weary of esports, the fact remains that competitive video gaming is a sport. While there's running or balls, League of Legends players are as much athletes as swimmers or other gold medalists.
If the Olympics have taught us anything, it's that peak performance can exist in different forms. Esports has a huge fan base and has penetrated even the online gambling market. Today, most sport betting sites like Betway are now offering odds on different esports events. Betway is quite popular in the betting industry for offering solid odds on the traditional sports market.
Esports athletes also train hard
Sitting down on your couch all day will get you nowhere in competitive video gaming. Professional gamers are part of a larger team or organization and often live in a training facility. The main reason behind living together is to create a bond between the players and make it easier to practice daily.
It's commonly known in the esports market that professional gamers practice with their teams for more than 10 hours daily. This practice involves competing against high-level teams and studying previous matches to help them know where to improve. They also analyze their opponents' strategies and playing styles.
Just like traditional Olympic athletes, professional gamers also have coaches who guide them through the practice. These esports coaches and managers also undergo immense pressure to perform in major competitions.
Top esports players have physical advantages over casual players
Just like jogging with your dog at the park won't make you pick the pace of a Kenyan athlete, a couch potato who enjoys screaming at his online partner can never successfully compete with esports professionals. Esports athletes gain advantages through practice, including better hand-to-eye coordination.
Esports momentum moving into 2023
The esports market took a huge step forward in 2021 and 2022, increasing fan engagement and growing penetration in the broader sports ecosystem. Today, traditional sports punters are looking for sportsbooks that offer esports odds to wager on international tournaments. This growth in fan engagement has boosted the esports market, and it may become an Olympic sport in the next decade.
