The President of the Olympic Council of Asia, His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, has the pleasure of announcing that upon the recommendation of the OCA Executive Board the OCA has decided to collaborate with the Global Esports Federation to promote and develop esports across and throughout Asia.
This historic collaboration promises to celebrate and inspire millions of youth in Asia, already home to some of the most important and exciting athletes and players and, as well, innovators in technology and change-makers in the dynamic esports community.
“The OCA looks forward to working with the Global Esports Federation in serving the youth of Asia,” Sheikh Ahmad said.
“One of the big stories of our time is esports, and the OCA is pleased to join forces with the GEF to maximize the potential of esports, for good.”
The President of the Global Esports Federation, Chris Chan, said, “In partnering with the OCA, driven by the visionary leadership of its President and Executive Board, we acknowledge the depth and breadth of progressive innovation in this dynamic, youthful continent. Together, we will convene a partnership focused on advancing forward-thinking and future-oriented initiatives in service to athletes, players and youth.”
The Olympic Council of Asia, with its 45 National Olympic Committees, represents 4.6 billion people, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population, including at least 700 million youth ages 15 to 24. The OCA has been recognized worldwide as a pioneer in advancing the direction of esports — introducing esports for the first time at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games in Macau. Esports was featured as a demonstration sport at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, with 11,300 athletes from 45 participating teams.
“We are grateful to the OCA President and the Executive Board for their trust and confidence,” said Chan. “We look forward to doing big things together.”
Launched on December 16, 2019, in Singapore, the Global Esports Federation proudly draws on a diverse range of experience and expertise from the world of esports and the sporting community to help develop the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports in society. Tencent, one of the world’s leading technology companies, is the Founding Global Partner of the GEF. The Federation was founded to further elevate the future of esports, bringing the global community together through a #worldconnected.