China has announced its robust lineup of participants set to compete in the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games in September. The delegation comprises 31 athletes and five coaches, ready to represent the nation across six e-sports events. This revelation, shared by officials on Sunday night, has ignited excitement and optimism among Chinese e-sports stakeholders and fervent fans who see a bright future for the global acceptance of e-sports.
The selection process, which spanned from March 30 to June 9, witnessed an overwhelming response with 27 coaches and 125 athletes applying for inclusion in the team. In the end, five coaches and 31 athletes were carefully chosen to represent China in the highly anticipated event.
The Hangzhou Asian Games, according to media reports, will host seven esports events including, Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, Game for Peace Asian Games Version, League of Legends, Dota 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, FIFA Online 4 and Street Fighter 5. Notably, no Chinese player will participate in the Street Fighter 5 event.
One standout selection is Yu Wenbo, known popularly as Jackey Love, who will bring his prowess to the League of Legends team as the Attack-Damage Carry player. Experts and enthusiasts alike consider the chosen team a robust blend of seasoned champions and emerging talent, generating confidence in the team’s potential to perform exceptionally.
In an interview with Global Times, Wang Qi, a member of the Global E-sports Federation, revealed the rigorous and professional selection process. Athletes’ performances across a range of professional e-sports tournaments were evaluated, with additional measures such as doping tests applied in line with Asian Games requirements.
Wang recognized the team’s unique composition of seasoned athletes from the 2018 Asian Games and a fresh cohort of tenacious players. He noted that their transformation from professional players to national team athletes reflected a combination of immense pride and formidable competitive strength. He expressed confidence that this elite team, drawing from top domestic e-sports clubs, would swiftly adapt and work cohesively.
Wang predicts China could secure three to four gold medals at the Games. Xie Fan, founder of Famulei, echoed this sentiment, identifying China’s strong chances in the Arena of Valor and Game for Peace events, due to a lack of significant competition and China’s fully developed market and competitive mechanism in these two mobile e-sports.
In a further insight, Yu Tong, a former League of Legends match commentator, identified South Korea as the main rival in League of Legends and Southeast Asian teams in Dota 2. However, he dismissed recent concerns about potential unfair treatment at the Games, emphasizing that all athletes start on an equal footing.
The integration of e-sports into the Asian Games has stirred excitement among fans. For many, it signals a major step towards enhancing the social acceptance of e-sports, long relegated to a form of entertainment for the younger generation. This significant milestone amplifies the value of e-sports and highlights it as a sport that brings national honor.
According to the 2022 Asian E-sports Industry Development Report, a substantial 66.3% of netizens believe that e-sports foster cultural exchange at the national level, making it an increasingly important cultural touchstone for young people worldwide.
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