The electronic sports (eSports) Olympic Games will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2025, country that, so far, will host all the editions until 2037.
The decision was adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who voted unanimously during its 142nd session, held recently.
The proposal was presented several months ago by IOC President Thomas Bach, who remarked that "this is truly a new era. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the e-Sports Olympic Games, we are keeping pace with the digital revolution. The eSports community has been enthusiastically involved in this initiative. This is further proof of the appeal of the Olympic brand and the values it represents among young people."
According to the sports body, following Tuesday's decision, work will begin on selecting a city and venue for the inaugural edition, the specific calendar for the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for players and other details.
They stated that "international federations already involved in an electronic version of their sport being considered for inclusion in the Games will be the first partners to be approached by the IOC. The same will apply to National Olympic Committees that already include e-sports in their activities."
Based on these proposals, Javier "ToXavieR" Vidal Hernández, president of the Electronic Sports Association of Cuba (ADEC), previously told this newspaper that Cuba "would be considered to participate."
