Saudi Arabia will no longer host the first-ever Esports Olympics in 2027, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday.
According to a statement, the Saudi National Olympic Committee and the IOC “mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games.”
Originally scheduled to take place in Riyadh this year, the first Esports Games were postponed in February.
When the IOC officially revealed the agreement in July of last year, Saudi Arabia was assured of hosting the Games for 12 years starting in 2025.
The event was created with the help of then-IOC president Thomas Bach, although Kirsty Coventry is now in charge.
In 2021 and 2023, the IOC organized smaller virtual sports championships called the Olympic Esports Series. Due to the dearth of conventional esports games, they received harsh criticism from gaming critics.
The IOC statement said, “The two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundation recently sat down again and reviewed this initiative.”
They both decided to stop working together on the Olympic Esports Games. Both parties are dedicated to pursuing their individual esports goals in different ways.
The Esports World Cup, which features many of the most popular games in the world, was first staged in Riyadh in 2024 and earlier this year. Saudi Arabia is in charge of its organization.
“With the goal of having the inaugural Games as soon as possible, this approach will be a chance to better fit the Olympic Esports Games to the long-term ambitions of the Olympic movement and to spread the opportunities presented by the Olympic Esports Games more widely,” the IOC stated.
Saudi sporting events are frequently accused of “sportswashing,” or using them as a diversion from human rights abuses.
Over the past few years, the kingdom has made significant investments in sports, but critics, including members of the LGBTQ community and women’s rights organizations, claim it is using its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to sportswash its human rights record.
The nation claims that its laws safeguard its national security and refutes allegations of violations of human rights.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
