Wei Jizhong sees bright future for e-sports

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: The life-time honorary president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Wei Jizhong sees bright future for e-sports which he says will be part of the next year’s Asian Games as a demonstration sports.

“E-sports has a very bright future,” Wei told ‘The News’ here in a chat on Sunday. The Chinese veteran official has served sports at various levels for around 50 years. He served the international volleyball federation (FIVB) as its president from 2008 to 2012.

“The e-sports will be part of the next year’s Jakarta Asian Games as demonstration sports. The biggest reason behind keeping it as a demonstration sports in the Asiad is that we have to get more experience,” said Wei.

It is pertinent to mention here that e-sports is also part of the ongoing 5th Asian and Indoor Martial Arts Games as demonstration sports. The Asian e-Sports Federation is working hard to promote the genre.

Wei said that it would go a long way as in this normal and disabled people could compete together.“It has a great future as in this both normal and disabled persons can compete at the same level and at the same platform. It makes it unique,” Wei said.

“I can say and a lot of the experts have told me that in future e-sports will require mathematic logic. This is a kind of education,” he said.Earlier, at a news conference, Wei paid tribute to Turkmenistan and its president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow for holding the glorious Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games which had been allotted to the central Asian country in December 2010.

“I congratulate Turkmenistan’s president for holding the Games in such a befitting manner,” Wei said.A splendid infrastructure has been established for the competitions which has impressed all the visitors from Asia and Oceania.

Wei said that the Games were unique as it was seen for the first time that athletes’ village, competition venues and residents of media and other officials were at the same place. “This made it easier for everyone to go everywhere and see the games,” Wei said. More than 6000 athletes from 65 nations of Asia and Oceania are showing their skills in the games.