Asian Games – Hangzhou 2022 – E-Sports – China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China – September 26, 2023 Players from Team China talk during the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Final REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
HANGZHOU, China Sept 26 (Reuters) – China won the first gold esports medal in Asian Games history in the Eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Tuesday by beating Malaysia in the smartphone multiplayer battle game “Arena of Valor”, to delight fans in the world’s biggest esports market.
Esports, which refers to video games played competitively and whose players can make millions in prize-money, is making its debut as a medal event in this edition of the Asian Games, as the gaming sector pushes its case for Olympic inclusion.
Teams and individuals are battling for a total of seven gold medals across a range of titles in the city hosting the Games, including online soccer and multi-player battle arena games.
Inside the recently built Esports venue, organisers used lights, ear-splitting loud music and live commentary to create something akin to a gameshow scene in a movie set in a dystopian future world.
Then the arena’s several thousand fans, many of whom waved multi-coloured light sticks, screamed their support when the stadium announcer introduced the Chinese team.
China storm to first ever Asian Games esports gold
