For the first time in history, eSports will be a medal sport in Asian Games 2022 and India has an extraordinary chance to leave a mark at this mega game. Like in numerous sectors such as telecoms and banking, India can break records in eSports just as well! Most players may have missed the PC or console era as it was excessively expensive or there was a lack of connectivity, however, what they all have now is a smartphone and are prepared to compete around the world. But then again, a huge obstacle between the players and worldwide competitive events is the absence of trust from the government. Presently gamers, gaming companies, developers & organizations, and different stakeholders trust that this will change soon.

Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) says, “eSports will be a medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games and there is a need to put in place a progressive regulatory structure to support the Indian athletes and companies.”

Asian Games 2022 are planned to be held in Hangzhou, China. Medals won in eSports will be tallied towards the final medals counts for the nations winning them. In the 2018 version of the Asian Games, eSports medals were not included in the overall medals tally of a country. Recently, eSports got an affirmation, however, it’s as yet not recognized as a game by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs or the Indian Olympic Association.

Last three years have seen an incredible spike in the Indian gaming industry, with last year alone seeing a 20% increment in everyday active users. The gaming sector bagged a revenue of Rs 7,700 crore in 2020 which is expected to be Rs 15,500 crore by 2023. The number of gamers in 2020 was 360 million, as indicated by a March 2021 EY-Ficci report named ‘Playing by New Rules’.

Gaming organizations are of the opinion that if there were transparency in guidelines, it wouldn’t just assist gamers but also attract more capital — at least 8 to 10 times more in the short term — from venture funds.

Digital sports need to be recognized and need to have a proper construction of rules and regulations, just like other games. This won’t just assist scale the game but help make it a viable career option for individuals. Furthermore, there are sufficient models of eSports out there in South Korea, the USA which India can observe and make the correct structure and help sort out digital gaming.

AIGF suggests that instead of prohibiting online skill gaming, different states should aim to collaborate positively with industry stakeholders to foster a regulatory model that is to the greatest advantage of all parties involved. Esports could be a lifelong career similar to cricket, golf, football, or hockey, and different games. Mobile-based gaming events around the world are expected to grow 10 times in the near future.