eSports: Is professional video-gaming a sport?
Many people nowadays have trouble defining video game competitions that have become one of the most popular activities worldwide. According to some, eSports cannot be considered actual sports because of the lack of physical activity. Many people who like to bet on sports believe that the physical aspect of sports is what makes betting more exciting – you need to do your research and decide for yourself which team or player is in the best shape at the moment. That’s why guides for, for example, Boxing Betting are so often searched for. Others say that online game competitions are a type of sport since they often have its rules and structure.
In order to answer the question of the topic, we must first dig deeper into the difference between eSports and sports. Read on!
What are sports?
According to Wikipedia, sport includes any type of competitive physical activity, which is essentially nowhere near eSports.
However, various sports organizations acknowledged some non-physical sports that are usually called mind sports. Five of those are recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and they are bridge, chess, checkers, xiangqi (a traditional Chinese chess-like game), and Go.
The problem is that they still refuse to recognize competitive computer games as an official sport. According to many professionals, eSports are the opposite of what sports should represent. Every sport should help people nurture a healthy body, and computer games do quite the opposite as many professional gamers suffer from back pain, deteriorating eyesight, obesity, and more. On the other hand, the competitive part is pretty much the same as every eSport requires a lot of practice, determination, and talent.
What are eSports?
Electronic sports include playing various competitive online video games. Some of the most popular games are Dota 2, League of Legends (LoL), Counter-Strike, Fortnite, and others. Players often play as individuals or in teams and compete in online and offline tournaments for huge prizes. Nowadays, many devote their lives to this type of activity and are considered professional eSports people. In fact, some of them are real superstars and have millions of followers on social media who actively support them in their effort.
The problem with this type of competition is that it is still pretty fresh. Although it existed in one form or another during the 90s and early 2000s, the real revolution began only a couple of years ago thanks to streaming services such as Twitch, and video platforms such as YouTube.
Where do we draw the line?
So, what is the difference between chess and eSports? Why is one recognized as a sport and the other isn’t? The answer to this question lies in tradition.
Chess has the tradition which has been going on for hundreds of years and as such is an inseparable part of the popular culture, and the same goes for all the other mind sports. On the other hand, eSports are very young and need time to become a part of our everyday lives.
Conclusion
Many organizations related to sports have already recognized eSports as an official sport, but the Olympic Committee has still been considering that decision. Nevertheless, they said that they have plans related to introducing eSports during the Olympic Games sometime in the future.
Regardless of what the professional sports committees may say, eSports is widely recognized as a sport by the masses. If you go to your favourite sports betting platform, you would probably find an eSports section which allows you to place bets on various games. This is a huge indicator that this activity is slowly becoming popular all around the globe.
