If you weren't aware, members of the esports and Olympic communities met up in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of an Esports Forum to discuss how the two sides could work together and educate one another, and now we know how the International Olympic Committee and Global Association of International Sports Federations' event went.
There were over 150 representatives from esports and gaming, who joined many from across the Olympic Movement, and the Forum "explored areas of commonality and potential collaboration." It also discussed whether esports should be recognised as a sport and how they could be recognise, since there's no single esports organisation to represent the field globally and help align it with Olympic rules and regulations.
The Olympic website wanted to make it clear though that the talk of whether esports could become part of the Olympic programme wasn't "an immediate goal of the Esports Forum," as this was just about opening dialogues and educating people.
GAISF President and IOC Member Patrick Baumann said: "On behalf of GAISF and the IOC, I would like to thank all the participants at today's forum. One thing in particular was clear from these fascinating discussions - we are united by passion for our sports and a shared love of competition. That's a positive starting point for further discussions about possible future cooperation between the Olympic and esports communities."
Rick Fox, a former professional basketball player and the owner of an esports franchise, was the Forum host moderator and commented: "I am proud to have the opportunity to support the beginning of a discussion between the Olympic Movement and the world of esports. I've been fortunate to have a career involving both basketball and esports, and I think today reflected the passion that exists in sport and esports and also highlighted ways in which we could work together."
As a result of the Forum, the IOC and GAISF is establishing an Esports Liaison Group to continue these discussions between the esports community and the Olympic Movement, with the IOC inviting members of this group to present at the Olympism in Action Forum in October. We'll also see the topic of esports discussed at the GAISF IF Forum in November, as well as the next Olympic Summit in December.
For more information and to watch some of the Forum, be sure to visit the official Olympic website. Does the Forum sound like a success to you?