# International E-Sports Medals The Olympic Council of Asia will Award Medals for E-Sports in 2022 By Joey Haar | Published 2017-04-19 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/medals-for-esports References: [theverge](http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/19/15353958/asian-games-esports-olympic-sport) & [ocasia.org](http://www.ocasia.org/news) There's no question that e-sports have been gaining popularity and are even beginning to shirk their statuses as niche interests, but the [Olympic Council of Asia](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eat-like-an-olympia) has given the gaming industry a credibility boost after announcing that it will award medals for e-sports at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Though the Olympic Council of Asia didn't specify all the games that would be included as medal sports, it mentioned [FIFA 2017](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifae-finals-2025) as well as "[MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/equal-esports-cup) and RTA (Real Time Attack)" game such as League of Legends and Starcraft II. To be sure, current gaming tournaments offer far more money and even fame when compared to the Asian Games, but the inclusion of e-sports in that traditional sporting event could represent a step forward in e-sports acceptance among the general public. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.5/10 - Popularity: 3% | Activity: 4% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Sports](https://www.trendhunter.com/sports) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Growing Popularity of E-sports:** The inclusion of e-sports in the Asian Games could further boost the popularity and mainstream acceptance of competitive gaming. - **Recognition of E-sports as Legitimate Sports:** The awarding of medals for e-sports at the Asian Games signifies the recognition of competitive gaming as a legitimate sporting activity. - **Convergence of Traditional and Digital Sports:** The integration of e-sports into a traditional sporting event like the Asian Games demonstrates the convergence of traditional and digital sports experiences. ### Where This Applies - **Gaming Industry:** The gaming industry stands to benefit from the increased recognition and acceptance of e-sports as a mainstream sporting activity. - **Sports Industry:** The inclusion of e-sports in the Asian Games presents new opportunities for the sports industry to tap into the growing market of competitive gaming. - **Online Streaming Platforms:** The rise in popularity of e-sports could drive increased viewership and engagement on online streaming platforms, creating new revenue streams and advertising opportunities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Esports Championship Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/european-games-esports-championships.md) - [MENA-Based Esports Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/saudi-arabia-1.md) - [Olympic-Themed Mobile Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olympic-games-jam-beijing-2022.md) - [Indian Esports Leagues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skyesports-1.md) - [Women's Tournament Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/international-esports-federation.md) - [Accessible Esports Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/viresa.md) - [Olympic Esports Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/special-olympics-esports.md) - [Chennai Esports Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tamil-nadu-government.md) - [Geography-Based Esports Competitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/geoguessr.md)