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The Aichi Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee has officially declared that esports will be one of the medal sports at the 20th Asian Games Aichi Nagoya 2026. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) has announced that esports will be one of the medal sports at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Esports will make its official debut at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022, where India will compete in four different games – DOTA2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V and League of Legends – from September 23 to 10. Esports’ inclusion in the 20th Asian Games is sure to encourage Indian Esports athletes into pursuing their passion professionally.
Lokesh Suji is the Director of the Esports Federation of India and Vice President of Asian Esports Federation. He said, “ESFI warmly embraces the decision and announcement made by the Olympic Council of Asia and Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee to include esports at the 20th Asian Games following the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. This announcement makes it imperative that we accelerate the development of infrastructure, education programs and training facilities as well as the overall awareness in the esports eco-system. It is also important that we equip our athletes with the best equipment and resources to enable them to perform at their peak on international stages. We encourage everyone to embrace this amazing development.”
He added that: “The inclusion in the Asian Games of such a diverse range of titles not only shows the diversity of Esports, but also the different dimensions of strategy, skill and teamwork displayed by the athletes. This provides a comprehensive experience to spectators.”
The Indian video gaming community will be able to show off their talents on such prestigious platforms, and they will also be motivated to win awards for their country. This announcement will inspire a whole new generation of Indian Esports players to strive for excellence and to make their country proud on the global stage.
“The Esports community and industry have been striving for recognition since a long time, and this recent announcement shows the progress that the ecosystem has made on international platforms. Esports’ official recognition as a medal-sport elevates esports athletes to the same level as mainstream sports personalities. We believe that our team S8ul and 8bit will be able to showcase their talents in several esports games at the Asian Games in 2026. This announcement also confirms that both endemic as well as non-endemic companies are looking for ways to engage gamers and are excited about investing in Esports.
“One small leap for esports and one giant leap for gaming!” The inclusion of esports in the medal sports is a good thing, and it opens up other tournaments that recognize esports. I hope that this upward trajectory continues, and we can eventually see Esports on a similar scale to traditional sports,” Rohit Agarwal said, founder and director of Alpha Zegus.
