E-sports and breakdancing will debut in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as full medal sports after being approved by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the governing body said on Friday.
E-sports first appeared as an official medal sport at the Asian Indoor Games in Macau in 2007. They were also a part of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia but medals did not count in the overall standings.
“I hope that electronic sports will add value to the Asian Games – and I am sure it will in the future, during the Asian Games 2022 and even beyond that,” said OCA Asian Games Director Haider Farman.
Breakdancing, considered one of the pillars of hip-hop culture, will also make its Asian Games bow in 2022, two years before it features in the Olympics for the first time in Paris.
The 19th edition of the Asian Games is due to take place from Sept. 10-25, 2022.
