SHARE
COPY LINK

TECHNOLOGY

Online games looking to get a foot into the Olympics

The Olympic movement may be dedicated to celebrating world class athleticism but some say its growth can be helped by something that requires hardly any movement at all: gaming.

Online games looking to get a foot into the Olympics
Future eOlympians? Photo: Ed Jones/AFP.

At a first-of-its-kind summit in Lausanne on Saturday July 21st, eSports leaders will meet International Olympic Committee executives to explore how the enormous popularity of gaming can draw more young fans towards the Games. 

“The goal of the forum is not to look at options to integrate eSports into the Olympics,” IOC sports director Kit McConnell told AFP. 

The goal, he explained, is “to study synergies between the two worlds and explore opportunities.”

IOC president Thomas Bach — conscious that the Olympics are increasingly appealing to an older demographic — has made outreaches to the gaming world to connect with younger audiences. 

Last week, the IOC tweeted images of Bach gaming with Kai 'Deto' Wollin, world champion of Playstation's “FIFA.”

The image of the sternly-spoken former fencer enthusiastically clutching a console may look incongruous, but Bach has made clear that he thinks eSports can help the IOC.

During a trip to India in April, he did not rule out the prospect of eSport events eventually being fully integrated into the Olympics, but laid out some clear conditions. 

“The red line would be video games that involve killing, those that promote violence or any type of discrimination… “Those could not be recognised as members of the Olympic movement,” he said.

Olympic recognition, mistrust?

eSports specialist Nicolas Pidancet, who has organised recent editions of the Geneva Gaming Convention, has been pushing Switzerland's Olympic committee to grant membership status to the national eSports federation, after similar moves in Italy in Sweden. 

“The term 'sport' does not fit into one definition,” Pidancet told AFP. He said that formal recognition of eSports federations as members of the Olympic movement would bolster development programmes, lead to more structured competition and boost gaming's credibility among sports media.

Pidancet noted that there was anxiety within the eSport world about fostering closer ties to “classic” sports, notably over what impact major corporate partnerships would have on what was once a niche community.  But he described those concerns as out-dated because the days when eSports were dominated by a small group of devoted players were already “a thing of the past.

Massive global company's like Intel and China's Alibaba, which already support the IOC, have partnerships with eSports competitions, he said.  

Major obstacles

Integrating gaming into the Olympic system will face some clear challenges. “One of the first criteria (for IOC recognition) is that a sport must be governed by a single, recognised federation,” McConnell said.

That level of streamlined control within eSports seems a remote prospect for now, since the creators of individual games will inevitably want to retain some control over how their product is used and marketed in global competition. 

Ensuring gamers comply with doping restrictions is likely to be another thorny subject. But whatever hurdles exist, Pidancet insisted that “the future depends on more synergies,” calling Saturday's summit an “historic” opportunity to build bridges between the Olympic movement and the gaming world. 

READ MORE: Swiss-based IOC and Dutch brand in legal battle over rights to Olympic founder's name

For members

SWITZERLAND EXPLAINED

Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

Have you heard of Schwingen? Switzerland's national sport involves jute shorts, sawdust, and a whole lot of wrestling,

Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

While relatively unknown outside of Switzerland, and largely concentrated in the country’s German-speaking cantons, Schwingen is Switzerland’s homegrown form of wrestling.

In a sawdust ring, two competitors aim to throw each other onto their backs, with both shoulders touching the ground. Each time this is achieved, a point is awarded to the victor.

All this throwing is achieved by grabbing the leather belt attached to the jute shorts worn by the combatants.

As simple as this sounds, there are several styles of Schwingen and hundreds of recorded holds and grips. Size and strength play a significant role in Schwingen, but flexibility cannot be discounted as a factor in determining a champion. 

A proud history 

Like any martial art, the origins of Schwingen are lost to history, but it’s safe to say that just like the Schuhplattler of neighbouring Bavaria – that’s the slappy lederhosen dance – it’s been around for thousands of years, practised by mountain tribes, and later shepherds tending mountain flocks.

The first depictions in art date from the 13th century and the first written records from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, when local church authorities sought to crack down on the rowdy celebrations that these competitions were associated with.

Indeed, Schwingen was massively restricted for hundreds of years, under the fear that it was leading to drunkenness and all manner of other sinning. The large majority of Schwingen meets at this time took place in isolated areas, far from prying eyes. 

All of this changed with the arrival of industrialization, railways and tourism. With many flocking to rural Switzerland for the beauty of outdoor spaces and quaint local customs, Schwingen was brought back to the cities by fascinated spectators and became so popular that it needed to be codified and organized to regulate it.

To this end, the Schwingerverbandes, or Federal Wrestling Association was founded in 1895.

Read More: Schwingen: Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s ‘national sport’

More popular than ever 

Schwingen is now a very popular sport within Switzerland, practised by a dedicated core of amateurs and professionals, and watched by far, far more,

Experiencing a further boom throughout the 20th century, boosted by broadcast media, it became mass entertainment. It’s a televised sport, revolving around several key meets, at the canton and federal levels. In addition to youth Schwingen, there have been women’s competitions since 1980.

The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival is the apogee of competitive Schwingen, held every three years – think of it like a Swiss Olympics. The next will be in Glarnerland in 2025. 

Another massive event for Schwingen fans is the Unspunnenfest, held every twelve years in Interlaken. The next of these will be held in 2029.

Crowned in 2022, Joel Wicki from the canton of Luzern is the current Swiss Schwingen champion. Topping out at just over six feet, and weighing in at 110kg, he’s far from the biggest contestants – but then again, it’s not always strength that matters in a Schwingen bout. 

Want to get involved? 

While Schwingen isn’t exactly the kind of thing that international visitors generally involve themselves in, there is a fully packed calendar of events throughout the year for spectators.

These range from indoor events in the winter months, to the larger outdoor competitions during the summer. You can find out more on the Federal Wrestling Association’s website.

You can also track Schwingen competitions, and find out where to watch them on TV or online, via Sport.ch.

SHOW COMMENTS