German Officials Really Don't Like eSports

The Olympics has a pretty weird relationship with eSports, although if I had to describe it in one word I would go with reluctant. It seems as if they recognize that its a growing field with many supporters and fans across the globe, but any effort to consider eSports as a proper sport is met with hesitation and excuses. For example, while the Olympics did host an eSports forum and a pre-Olympics StarCraft 2 tournament, IOC president Thomas Bach is on record as saying that the Olympics are no place for video games because they're too violent and full of killer games that cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values.

In a similar back-and-forth, this year at the Southeast Asian games (which is Olympic-affiliated), there are going to be medal-winning esports events for those couch athletes out there. Which doesnt sit too well with Alfons Hörmann, president of DOSB, the German Olympic Sport Federation, who said the following brief yet extremely blunt way, according to Faz.net (and Google Translate):

Esports does not exist. And it will not be included in the Olympic program."

Thats a really German way of saying it, eh? In any case, hes not the only German official whos not a big fan of online athletics: Peter Beuth, Minister of the Interior and Sports for the German state of Hesse, wants people to stop using the term esport altogether, because he insists video games have more in common with knitting or playing the recorder than actual athletics.

Which, I mean, I understand. Itll be a long, long time before eSports is seen as anything authentic by the kind of people wholl have control over these decisions, as right now theyre seats held by more traditional types. As the generations shift, this might change, but for now, well just have to enjoy eSports in every avenue except the Olympics.