- Tencent is reaching out to the Olympic Council of Asia in an attempt to popularize esports
- This was announced during the Asian Electronic Sports Development Conference
- The first fruits of this cooperation will be seen at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022
The largest gaming company in the world, Tencent, has recently entered a partnership with the Olympic Council of Asia in an attempt to promote the development of esports in Asia.
Tencent and the OCA Partner to Promote Esports in Asia
As esports continues to gain popularity, many gaming companies are reaching out to well-established classical sports institutions in order to grow esports’ popularity worldwide. Such is the case with the Chinese media conglomerate Tencent, which recently announced a partnership with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
The partnership was announced on January 20, during the Asian Electronic Sports Development Conference and MOU Signing Ceremony. It was held by the OCA and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF). During the event, which was themed “Blooming in Asia”, a partnership between AESF and Tencent Esports was also announced. The event also saw plans for the Road to Asian Games revealed.
The event had many prominent guests attending online, including OCA Director General Mr. Husain A H Z AI-Musallam, AESF President Mr. Kenneth Fok, Tencent Senior Vice President Mr. Steven Ma, and Tencent Games Vice President and Tencent E-Sports General Manager Mr. Mars Hou.
What Did the Top Guests Say?
According to Tencent’s official release, the guests discussed in-depth ideas of “the future development of sports and esports in Asia” and “promoting the development of sports in Asia.”
Director General of OCA Husain AI-Musallam said that the Olympic Council of Asia is eager to create strategic cooperation with Tencent. In addition, he expressed the hope that Tencent's technology and innovation will help the OCA and the AESF to bring in new possibilities for the esports industry in Asia.
Senior Vice President of Tencent Steven Ma said the corporation will continue its support for the OCA in promoting the development of sports and esports in Asia for a long time to come. This includes the preparation of exports events in the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, on which there will be eight esports played as medal games.
President of Asian Electronic Sports Federation Kenneth Fok said that the AESF and Tencent Esports will collaborate on many projects in the future. Additionally, according to Vice President of Tencent Games Mars Hou, both organizations will jointly collaborate on events and provide educational experiences to players. Finally, it was said that the Road to Asian Games will serve as a new platform for stakeholders to learn, share, and exchange information.
As esports are continuing to gain in popularity worldwide, we may see similar cooperation between gaming organizations and traditional sports organizers outside of Asia.
