“We have many exciting games coming up in 2018, especially the Asian Games in Indonesia. I am personally very confident that the games will be an absolute success,” writes Mr Fok.

“It is a pleasure for the Asian Electronic Sports Federation to be invited to participate in this event in Jakarta, and it was definitely a milestone for our Federation to move forward smoothly and to be able to show our exciting sporting discipline to the world during the Asian Games.

“The recognition of having e-sports as a demonstration event during the Asian Games 2018 represents the impressive development of e-sports in Asia in a relatively short span of time.”

Mr Fok became President of the revamped AESF at a meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, last September, on the sidelines of the OCA’s 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. E-sports was played as a demonstration event at the AIMAG.

The AESF is planning to have eight events at the 18th Asian Games to further promote the growth of e-sports in Asia.

“The details of events and platforms will be worked out shortly which we will immediately share with OCA and INASGOC.” Although medals will be awarded to the winners of the eight events in Jakarta, they will not be counted in the overall medals table as e-sports will be a demonstration event only. It is expected to be added to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2022 as an official medal sport for the first time.

The new President goes on to reconfirm the AESF’s commitment and determination to promoting and developing e-sports in the Asia-Pacific region, and thanks the OCA, National Olympic Committees and National Federations for their support, advice and guidance at the start of “an exciting year” leading up to the Asian Games from August 18 to September 2. (Ocasia.org)