The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) and the China Sports Information Center (CSIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding focused on esports development.
The Memorandum will focus on the upcoming 19th Asian Games that will take place in Hangzhou, China later this year. The two organisations will work on developing regulations and guidelines for the event, as well as create a “task force” with the organising committee of the event.
This partnership is an important one in the further development of esports at the Asian Games, one of the largest sporting events in the world. The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) and the China Sports Information Center (CSIC) agreed to work on four distinct fields ahead of the Games.
The CSIC is a regulatory body for sports in China, focused on developing an array of sports in the country and fighting against non-lawful practices in the country. The CSIC sits above the national sports associations.
According to a release, the first task is to develop standard esports competition regulations and guidelines for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be used to regulate the esports section of the event.
The second announced task is the creation of a task force that will include the AESF, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and Host Broadcasters. Third is a national esports technical officer workshop to take place ahead of the event, and the fourth is the further development and esports education in China.
Commenting on the matter, the two parties stated in a release: “The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks a significant step in fostering close collaboration and cooperation between the two organisations.
“With a focus on the four key areas of partnership, such joint efforts will contribute to the success and further advancement of the sport at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games as well as in China in general.”
The Olympic Council of Asia has recently announced that the 2026 edition of the Asian Games will also include esports. On the other hand, the well-known competitive card game Hearthstone has been removed from the roster of games that will be available in this year’s edition. Arena of Valor (Asian Games Version), Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, FIFA, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version), and Street Fighter V will be the medal events this year.
