SENATOR Bam Aquino welcomed the inclusion of e-sports in the Asian Games, saying it will provide Filipinos another venue to showcase their skills and excel in the international stage as they compete for the country’s flag and honor.
“The inclusion of e-sports in the prestigious Asian Games will give Filipino e-sports athletes opportunity to showcase their talent and bring honor to the Philippines,” said Aquino, an ardent supporter of local e-sports and video game development industry in the country.
Aquino said that with the addition of e-sports in the Asian Games, Filipino e-sports talents will now be recognized as legitimate athletes and entitled to financial and other forms of support from the government, like traditional athletes who compete in international events.
“With this development, we expect the government to fully support our Filipino cyber athletes as they hone their skills through training and participation in local and international events,” said Aquino,chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.
“Also, the inclusion will eventually correct the public’s negative perception about e-sports, especially if properly managed and given guidance by the government,” he added.
The Olympic Council of Asia announced that e-sports will be a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.
In 2022, e-sports will be an official medal event at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
With Aquino’s help, the Philippine e-sports Association was formed to strengthen the foundation of e-sports in the country. He was later named as PeSPA’s honorary chairman.
Aquino said the association was established to look after the welfare of cyber athletes and stakeholders and the promotion of e-sports in the country.
The senator has been supporting Filipino e-sports athletes, who have excelled in previous international events, including the prestigious International DOTA 2 Championship event in Seattle where Filipino squad TNC finished eighth.
The lawmaker also supports the video game development industry in the Philippines because of its potential to create fresh employment opportunities for Filipinos.