International Olympic Committee plans regarding esports integration remain active, according to IOC President Kirsty Coventry during a recent press conference.
“Esports is under the responsibility of my executive office. I am working with an expert in this field, so this direction is absolutely alive,” Coventry stated.
At the same time, she clarified that esports is not an immediate priority for the organization. The project will not be presented to the IOC Executive Board until at least after the first month of summer.
“It all comes down to timing. We will be ready to present anything to the Executive Committee after June. So we continue to evaluate esports, but right now we are focused on our core business and trying to build strong future strategies around it first. At the same time, we are clearly exploring the potential of esports and what shape it could take,” Coventry added.
In the near future, esports will not be among the IOC’s primary discussion topics. The next major milestone for the committee will be the Extraordinary 146th IOC Session, scheduled for June 24–25. During the meeting, members will discuss the “Fit for the Future” (F4F) process, which will define the IOC’s strategy for the next seven years. Esports is not included in the official agenda for the session.
The shift in focus is also reflected in the creation of nine working groups dedicated to the IOC’s highest-priority areas, none of which directly involve esports. The priority categories include:
- Olympic Programme
- Protection of the Women’s Category
- Commercial Partnerships and Marketing
- Protection of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism
- Delivery of the Olympic Games
- Autonomy, Ethics, and Good Governance
- Youth Olympic Games
- A Better World Through Sport
- The Olympic Q-Series
As a reminder, the first season of the Ukrainian Dota League recently concluded.