eSports levels up with SEA Games debut

MANILA, Philippines: eSports took a step into the sporting mainstream on Thursday as it made its debut at the Southeast Asian Games, becoming a medal event for the first time at an Olympic-recognised multi-sport competition.

As the typhoon-hit Games, spread across dozens of venues in the northern Philippines, neared the halfway stage, eSports made its grand entrance at a darkened arena in Manila.

It represents progress for video gaming, which was a demonstration sport at last year’s Asian Games but has been left off the programme for the next edition in 2022.

Players from nine countries are competing over six days for medals in Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Starcraft II, Tekken 7 and Hearthstone.

“This is a very, very historic day because for the first time eSports will be played in the Southeast Asian Games,” local mayor Francis Zamora said at an opening ceremony at the 5,500-capacity San Juan Arena.

The 11-country Games, featuring a record 56 sports, were rocked by deadly Typhoon Kammuri which forced about half of Tuesday’s events to be rescheduled.

It was the second time major sporting event has suffered typhoon disruption in Asia in recent months, after Typhoon Hagibis forced the cancellation of matches during the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The Philippines remained in firm control of the medals table on Thursday with 60 golds — compared with the 24 it won in 2017. Seven of the last 11 host nations have finished top of the medals table at the SEA Games.