APEC Sports Newsletter
04 March 2018 ISSUE
Digital Economy X Esports Foreword / 02 APEC Economies' Policies / 03 -Overview of Current Esports Policies in Different Economies / 03 -Introduction of the Development of esports in the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; and the Netherlands / 06 Perspectives on Regional Sports Issues / 21 -Anticipation and Excitement at the 2018 Taipei Game Show / 21 -The 2018 IeSF ESports World Championship Will Take Place in Kaohsiung / 25 -Countdown to Jakarta Palembang 2018 – the 18th Asian Games / 29 -Korfball aims for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia / 32 -An Assembly of Olympians - The Establishment of the Chinese Taipei Olympians Association / 34 ASPN Related Events / 36 APEC Economies' Perspectives on ASPN Related Foreword Policies Regional Sports Issues Events
Foreword
APEC's theme for 2018 is "Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future." The digital economy is an essential aspect of APEC's trade and investment facilitation action plans to promote the growth of interregional productivity, foster innovation and structural reforms, encourage the economic participation of small and medium enterprises (SME) and vulnerable groups, and support human resources development in the region. The rise of the digital economy has had a tremendous impact on all walks of life. It is a key force driving global economic development and has transformed economic and social activities and work behaviors of individuals and entire societies. Thus, the various member economies of APEC must guide and assist their citizens in preparing for this changing work environment and developing the skills necessary to meet the needs of the digital market.
In recent years, the esports trend has swept the world to become a digital industry with great economic potential. The esports industry has initiated a ripple effect that extends upstream beyond its own core sporting events to spur the design and development of gaming software and bolster the computer hardware and peripherals industries, and downstream to promote the development of the live streaming, broadcasting, and online communications industries. Facilitated by advancements in communication networks, esports is an emerging sports trend that has transformed gaming from personal entertainment into a spectator sports, resulting in a huge output in tournament and event sponsorship and advertising, software/hardware and merchandising, ticket revenues, broadcasting revenues, and mini-tournaments.
This edition of the newsletter contains an overview of current esports policies in different economies and summarizes the development of esports in the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; and the Netherlands. Other highlights include the report of the 2018 Taipei Game Show, the 2018 Kaohsiung IeSF World Esports Championship, the progress of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, the development of korfball in Asia as well as the establishment of CTOA, an association for the Olympians of my fellow men. Meanwhile, "Perspective on Regional Sports Issues" offers insight into developments in sports in the Asia-Pacific region.
Readers can learn the experiences and views of the different economies to inspire their own unlimited innovative potential and benefit from this latest digital trend. Through mutual exchange, the esports industries of different Te-Fu Lin economies will be able to open whole Director-General, new chapters in their development. Sports Administration, Ministry of Education
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Overview of Current Esports Policies in Different Economies
As time progresses and the environment continues to change, people's sports and recreation preferences have reached a transitioning point. A gradual shift in people's perceptions of video games has become evident as technological advancement continues to allow for greater gaming immersion. Advancements in communications technologies also force the people and organizations involved in gaming activities to formulate new gaming definitions and prepare for new challenges. Dr. David Chen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Graduate On 7 November 2017, a bill to amend part of the Sports Institute of Sports Pedagogy, Industry Development Act passed its third reading in the University of Taipei, Chinese Taipei Legislative Yuan. The amendments formally recognized esports as part of the sports industry. Thereafter, various levels of authority and public organizations were required to allocate funds to esports in accordance with relevant sports policies and sports development projects. The bill also made Chinese Taipei a world-leader in recognizing esports as a formal sporting event. In this study, we briefly introduce the current state of esports development in various economies.
Besides Chinese Taipei, the only other economy that has passed laws and regulations recognizing esports as a formal sporting event is China. The General Administration of Sport of China announced that esports was formally listed as the 99th sporting category during the launch ceremony of the China Interactive Sports platform in 2003. Later in 2008, sporting categories were consolidated, and esports became the 78th category. However, views on esports differ in economies such as Korea; Malaysia; Italy; and the United States because of different development conditions.
Esports has become a primary industry in Korea, a world leader in esports development.
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Since the launch of the World Cyber Games in 1997, esports is ranking among the top three sporting events in Korea (soccer, Go, and esports). To promote esports, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ratified the Act on Promotion of Esports, charging the Game Content Industry Division of the Content Policy Bureau to manage and promote esports. Different from the Act of Promotion of Sports, which aims to promote conventional athletic sports, the Act on Promotion of Esports regulates government funding for esports and establishing departments in universities and institutions to foster professional athletes. Regarding academic advancement, the Chung-Ang University is the only institution that includes esports performance as an assessment criterion in its admission review process (Sorokanich, 2014). Regarding conscription, medal winners of major esporting events are still conscripted, unlike conventional sporting events, whereby athletes may be eligible for exemption once they win a medal.
The United States Government has yet to provide a clear definition for esports. In the United States, esports is categorized in the technology or gaming industries rather than the sports industry. However, esports players competing in the United States may apply for the P1 visa (applicable to professional entertainers or athletes to partaking in short- term events in the United States; Tassi, 2013). In schools, the National Association of Collegiate Esports serves as the management association for college-level esporting activities in the United States. Currently, there are 56 universities that offer courses or subjects related to esports (Morrison, 2017), and over 30 universities offer scholarships for esports players (Scholarship.com, 2018). It is especially worth mentioning that Stephens College in Missouri is the first school to offer scholarships specifically for female esports players.
In Malaysia, Esport Malaysia (eSM) is responsible for holding various competitive events (Chee, 2015). eSM is registered with the Sports Commissioner's Office, Ministry of Youth and Sports, in January 2015. However, Malaysia has not yet adopted its training and subsidization schemes for fostering outstanding athletes to the training of outstanding esports players.
Italy's esports is promoted by the Italian Sports Federation and supervised by the Italian
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National Olympic Committee. Currently, Italy does not provide academic advancement counseling services for esports players. Conscription in Italy became voluntary in 2005. Therefore, players do not have military obligations. Notably, Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. (MSI) sponsors esports in Italy, providing technical support to The Italian Federation.
Esports is an emerging trend. It is listed as a demonstration sport in the upcoming 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and it will be listed as a formal event in the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. There is also rising demand for esports to be listed as an Olympic event in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. Therefore, through the policy support and overall planning of the government, we anticipate that our esports elites may have greater opportunities to perform and win in international events.
References:
GNN:"Korea anticipates creating new trends in esports with the Act on Promotion of Esports," 3 January 2012. Link: http://gnn.gamer.com.tw/1/61271.html
Chee, I. (2015). esports Malaysia (eSM) aims to elevate the local gaming scene. Retrieved from: http://www.hardwarezone.com.my/tech-news-esports-malaysia-esm-aims-elevate-local- gaming-scene
Morrison, S.(2017). List of varsity esports programs spans North America. Retrieved from: http:// www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/21152905/college-esports-list-varsity-esports-programs- north-america
Scholarship.com. (2018). Esports Scholarships / Scholarships for Gamers. Retrieved from: https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/sports-scholarships/esports- scholarships-scholarships-for-gamers/
Sorokanich, R. (2014). South Korean University Now Accepts Gamers as Student Athletes. Retrieved from: http://gizmodo.com/south-korean-university-now-accepts-gamers-as- student-a-1547111361
Tassi, P. (2013). The U.S. Now Recognizes esports Players As Professional Athletes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/07/14/the-u-s-now-recognizes-esports-players-as- professional-athletes/
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Esports in Korea: From the Emergence to its Future
Esports culture in Korea was initiated based on commercialization of "PC Bang" (A place where PC gamers can use high-speed internet and high quality computers for computer games with concession stands) and it became the platform for the development of esports in Korea. Just like people want to go to a soccer field to play soccer, gamers go to a PC Bang to play game with their friends and peers. This kind of unique culture contributed
to the development of esports and it consequently Dr. Harry Hyungil Kwon,Ph. D. enabled Korean teams and leagues to occupy the world's Professor, Chung-Ang University, top ranks. For example, Korean Korea teams won League of Legend World Championship five years in a row between 2013-2017. Before the recent Korean streak, Taipei Assassins won the championship in 2012. The world championship of League of Legend attracted 340 million audience in the world and the purse Example of PC Bang in Korea was US$4,596,591 in 2017.
Emergence of Professional Gamers and Teams
When Mr. Shin Joo-young (real name: Park Chang-joon) won Blizzard Ladder Tournament in 1998 in the United States, the term professional gamer was first introduced to Korean gamers. He was known to be the first professional gamer because; 1) he won the international level tournament for the first time and 2) he was the first registered
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PGL member. Mr. Shin also founded the team "Chung-O SG (Seolgui Bang)" sponsored by a PC Bang franchise of Seolgui Bang in 1998.
Even though the term "professional gamer" was introduced by Mr. TV Commercial of Lee-Ki suk from YouTube Shin, Mr. Lee Ki-suk made the term more popular among the public. Mr. Lee won the 1st and 2nd Korean Pro Game League (KPGL) and he also won Blizzard Ladder Tournament. Before Mr. Lee, people never thought that playing computer games could be someone's job. However, his professional appearance through TV and printed media changed this concept and many amateur players dreamed of being professional gamers. He also appeared on TV commercial of KT's internet service of KORNET.
As esports gets more popular, more and more esports stars have gained media exposures through cable TVs and digital media. Among those, one of the top player is Mr. Lee Sang-hyeok (aka: Faker) of SK telecom T1. He has enjoyed media attention no less than that of Kim Yu-na (Olympic gold medal figure skater) or Park Ji-sung (former Korean EPL soccer player), the most popular sport stars in Korea.
Global contents and global attention
The most popular esports content is still the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). It has been exported to 145 countries in five different languages. As comparisons, Star Craft has been exported in three different languages and FIFA online 3 in 5 languages.
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2013 2014 2015
Concurrent Concurrent Concurrent 106,370 168,387 512,000 connected User connected User connected User Outside Korea Accumulated Accumulated Accumulated 21,710,000 52,280,000 85,130,000 Viewer Viewer Viewer
Concurrent Concurrent Concurrent 110,672 101,670 280,000 connected User connected User connected User Korea Accumulated Accumulated Accumulated 20,080,000 33,750,000 40,020,000 Viewer Viewer Viewer
Table 1: The accumulated number of audience in LCK
As the numbers shown in Table 1, the increase in audience was more prominent overseas than in Korea. This indicates that Korean esports contents can be as good money maker as K-Pop.
International media exposure of Korean esports player is also increasing. For example, Mr. Lee Sang-hyeok, the Faker, appeared on ESPN magazine as "The Unkillable Demon King", which was the first case among esports players.
The Faker has huge number of fans just like Kim Yu-na and Park Ji-sung. The fans cheer for him on competition venues and through Social Network Service (SNS).
Fans cheer for Faker Faker, the professional esports athlete on ESPN
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Professional Gamers and Amateur Gamers in Korea
In Korea, there are a total of 28 professional teams in 2017. The total number of professional gamers are 167 and 70 coaches and staff members are working for the professional players. The total budget of the 28 teams were US$22.1 million in 2015 and US$20.6 million in 2017.
The average age of the professional gamers in Korea is 20.3 years old and they made their debut as a professional gamer at the age of 18.3. They expect that they will retire at the age of 27.9. So, in average, a professional gamer is expected to play less than 10 years. After they retire, 34.8% of them want to get a coaching job, while 30.4% want to pursue a career as game broadcasters. The current average annual salary is about US$90,000. Only 4.1% of the professional gamers make around half million US dollars a year.
Apart from professional level, there are tons of amateur esports players in Korea. Among the total amateur players, 45.1% of them want to compete in the professional level.
Esports industry in Korea
As of 2016, the size of esports market is US$83.03 million. It was up by 14.9% from 2015. The biggest portion is occupied by broadcasting, which accounts for US$37.23 million (44.8%). The total budget of the leagues and teams was US$13.64 million; that of on/off- line media was US$6.29 million and Game purse of US$4.6 million. The biggest change between 2015 and 2016 was the increase in streaming (Δ14.9%).
In terms of the size in sponsorship, esports in Korea is number 3 following professional baseball and soccer. Recently, many companies diverse in nature, started sponsoring esports after they realized positive sponsorship effect through esports particularly among young markets. For example, VT cosmetics, BBQ (Korean fried chicken brand), Maxtill, Style.com, Handhug, and ENISH recently made sponsorship contracts with esports teams.
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In 2016, there were 221 esports events in different sizes. The total purse of the event was US$4.6 million. The biggest event in terms of prize money was League of Legend Champions Korea, whose total purse was US$300,000. Recently, there has been a huge increase in individual media such as AfricaTV and TwitchTV in Korea, which have been major platforms of esports streamers also known as broadcasting jockeys in Korea. Small-sized esports competition has been widely spread through individual media whose average purse is as small as US$1,000.
Future of Korean Esports
1) Drain of Star Players
Many famous esports players are currently playing for foreign teams. Particularly, the number of Korean players of the League of Legend in China is bigger than the number of domestic players in 2016. Even though Korean players are hired by foreign leagues with attractive salary, it should not be considered "very positive" for the future of domestic esports industry. Korean star players have moved to foreign teams for better income. And it consequently weakens the quality of the domestic players and competition, which is just similar to the situation of the professional baseball and professional soccer in Korea.
A bigger problem is that 76.5% of the professional gamers have intention of playing for foreign teams. Out of those who showed interests in playing abroad, 92.3% chose North America, 53.8% chose China, 40.4% chose Europe, 5.8% chose other economies in Asia.
2) Legal Obstacles and Legal Support
One of the strongest and negative impacts on the esports industry has come from the legislative movement against esports and computer games in general. Korean congress put forth the Game Addiction Law, a law of addiction prevention, management, and treatment in 2013. Since this law was proposed, media sabotaged game industry
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severely as if computer games were like drug, alcohol, and tobacco.
One of the most severe regulation against esports is the "Shutdown Policy" which has been implemented since 2012. This policy was included in the "Adolescent Protection Law" in Nov. 2011. Following this policy, "PC Bang" cannot allow adolescents under 16 to play computer games between 12:00am -6:00am.
On the contrary, nine congressmen, Mr. Lee Dong-Sup and 8 more, proposed "Game Industry Promotion Law" to make sure that game users do not do any illegal or immoral behaviors related to the computer games. This law is expected to promote sound culture of esports in which game users enjoy the games following the rules.
The Republic of Korea has been a leading economy of esports, particularly in playing skills and performance. Korean gamers have occupied top rankings in various competitions and many of them are now working in foreign leagues and teams. However, the market size of esports of Korea is relatively small compared to other parts of the world such as North America, Europe and China. The market size of North American economies were reported to be around US$108 million in 2016 and that of Europe was US$640 million, which was as big as that of China. Korea has a number of quality professional players, unfortunately its esports market is not big enough to properly support these human resources. Recently teams under big-sized companies were disbanded due to financial reasons. More and more professional gamers are worried about their future career after retirement.
To maintain and develop sustainability of esports, Korea need to focus on their marketing. As of now, the players are expected to play the main role in profit generation process. However, they are often left behind in profit sharing process. Esports teams and leagues need to recognize the value in each player and commercialize its property as much as possible. For example, licensed merchandise with team logos and players' names can contribute to diversifying the revenue structure for teams and a portion of the profit can go to each player.
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Esports will be included in Asian Games as demonstration sport in 2018 and will be played as an official sport in Hangzhou in 2022. This will be a great opportunity to both Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and esports industry in Korea. OCA will be able to attract new group of people to the Asian Games particularly younger generations than their usual target markets, which will lead to more sponsorship deals. In the same vein, esports will be exposed to on-site spectators and audience in Asian territory under the umbrella of the Asian Games. This will give esports a great opportunity to reach untapped markets. Korean people is well known for its huge interests in mega sports events such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games. It will be a great marketing upthrust which will enhance the reputation of esports among Korean people.
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Malaysian Esports: An Exercise In Shifting Traditional Perceptions Towards A Youth-Driven Economy
Gearing Up For A New Economic Wave
"We must prepare our people to become the initiators, the suppliers and active players in cyber games," said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at the Malaysian Cyber Games 2018 recently. And thus a nationwide shift of interest towards the economic viability of esports has begun.
While the young are fired-up and ready to adopt Muhammed Badiuzzaman esports as an economic lifestyle, the old question the bin Khairul Anuar financial practicality of such endeavor. That is, can Editor-in-Chief, JomGaming, Malaysia esports promise financial security for those involved? Malaysian esports athletes have been competing around the world since the mid noughties. They've been competing (and winning), however, most of the athletes would fold under the pressure of social conformity and opted for financial stability outside of esports. Until recently, that has been the trend for Malaysian esports talent pool.
However, for the past 3 years, we have seen positive growth in the Malaysian esports scene. Gaming communities rallied together and organised their own tournaments. Soon, brands Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak with an esports athlete at Malaysian and event organisers joined in and naturally the Cyber Games 2018 money followed, then future flames the esports
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fever. The past year has seen multiple esports tournaments every week, sometimes up to 3 big tournaments held over the same weekend.
From left: MYFES_EPIZ won RM7,000 prize money for FIFA 17 at the Borneo E-Arena, Malaysian contingent to the IeSF World Championship 2017 in Busan, Korea; Malaysian CS: GO team during the Malaysian qualifier to IeSF World Championship 2017
Esports Malaysia: Empowering The Malaysian Esports Youth
The establishment of Esports Malaysia (eSM) back in 2015 seems to have encouraged this growth. As the governing body to promote esports within the economy and region, eSM has been on the forefront of propagating the domestic esports agenda. Under eSM's guidance and support, a few initiatives have been slowly developed to help the growth of Dato Latt Shariman Abdullah, President Malaysian esports scene. of eSM at a DotA 2 tournament in Kedah, Malaysia Targeting interest at the grassroot level, eSM has helped established Esports Clubs within Malaysian higher learning institutions that include universities and colleges. This initiative aims to inculcate healthy gaming culture within a wholesome and educational environment. This was then further accentuated with a collaboration with Asia Pacific University culminating in the formation of the APU Esports Malaysia Academy, an academic platform for gamers to learn and train to become a competitive esports athlete.
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Not only that, eSM has begun establishing state-side chapters within the 14 states of Malaysia. Thus far, there are around 5 eSM chapters across Malaysia, each supported and endorsed by the respective state government, again towards upholding the domestic
Esports Malaysia met with University Esports esports agenda. Clubs
Finding Relevance In The Malaysian Esports Community
eSM's journey hasn't been without its struggles though. "Malaysian esports" has been around way longer than eSM. As such, it comes with the baggage of gaming communities old and new, event organisers and brands claiming "ownership" over certain gaming communities, and the resistance of some gamers who believe they were "doing fine" before eSM came along.
As everyone scrambles to grab a piece of the esports pie, eSM's presence is perceived as the bureaucratic thorn on the sides of many looking to make a quick buck in the burgeoning new industry. This perception is one that eSM is trying to rectify in its efforts to unify all gaming communities under the local esports banner.
As a non-profit organisation, eSM's interest has always been in the proper governance and protection of the local esports aspirations, including towards the betterment of esports athletes and their respective communities via structured administration and proper policies.
Through the initiatives mentioned above, eSM is slowly but surely gaining traction and trust amongst its grassroots. Through continuous education and dialogue with esports communities, eSM hopes to build mutually beneficial relationships in developing a vibrant and exciting esports landscape.
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2018, The Malaysian Esport Zeitgeist?
News of esports' inclusion in traditional sporting events like the upcoming Asian Games and Olympics attracted the attention of the Malaysian Government. This became the tipping point for various ministries and agencies to accelerate and announce their involvement with the
Malaysian esports scene. The APU ESM Academy MoU signed between ESM, APU and witnessed by the Minister of The Ministry of Higher Education endorses Higher Education the formation and operations of APU Esports Malaysia Academy for its holistic approach in merging academic excellence and soft skills development via syllabus- oriented competitive gaming.
Meanwhile The Education Ministry is seriously considering the possibility of incorporating esports into the Malaysian school syllabus or co-curriculum while encouraging the schools to form their own esports clubs.
The Youth and Sports Ministry in their National Transformation Plan 2050 (TN50) recognised Electronic Sports (esports) as a vital youth-oriented industry furthering our nation-building agenda. In light of the Asian Games/Olympics issue that sparked the imagination of Malaysian youths, the ministry further announced they'll be forming an esports development unit within the National Sports Council of Malaysia, the statutory board tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for Malaysia.
Coming full circle, the National Sports Council then announced they will be collaborating with eSM in outlining the domestic esports policies and guidelines in preparing Malaysian esports athletes for the Asian Games/Olympics in the future.
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Malaysia Is Shifting Gears For Esports-The New Digital Economic Industry
With various ministries and Malaysian Government voicing their support for the maturing esports industry and its aspiring athletes, it's not hard to see that "esports" is no longer a buzzword for doubt-filled rhetorics. It is a legitimate, financially lucrative option for those who are willing to work hard for the betterment of not only themselves, but also for the development of community, economy, and the local aspirations.
"We need to embrace the change in the digital economy and the fourth revolution. This is the new lifestyle of young people," adds Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. eSM will continue to uphold its role in wholeheartedly educating and promoting this positive change to the Malaysian public, hopefully changing the perception of the old to embrace the potential of the new digital economy.
Kuala Lumpur Hunters, Malaysia's number 1 Esports athlete competing during the Terengganu League of Legends team announcing their Esports Games 2018 at Terengganu, Malaysia sponsorship by Digi, a Malaysian telco company
League of Legends champions at the Garena AmTuah, the FIFA champion at the ASEAN Games Student Alliance 2017 tournament, a varsity level for esports (AGES) 2016 held in Kuala Lumpur esports tournament
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Esports Development in the Netherlands
The Netherlands have been doing great in the past in esports with champions in multiple titles at the beginning of this era. However, no one knew about these upcoming heroes, no one heard about them. Gaming and esports had a negative stigma, a stigma that hunted the scene for many years. Esports was not big enough to attract the government's attention. There was thus no interest to support anything associated with esports from the government. Koen Schobbers However, things started changing quite rapidly. Since Esports athlete, the beginning of this era, some Local Area Network Esports expert and advisor, Presenter at FOX-Sports-Inside (LAN) events were hosted by individual organisations, Esports, the Netherlands willing to spend time, money and effort into the gaming scene. They wanted to give gaming and esports a place in the Netherlands, a place where players were able to meet one another and battle for prizes. Some of the biggest are The Party in Eindhoven, The Reality in Assen as well as Frag-0-Matic in Belgium. Another organisation decided to host an event where players were not able to just play for prizes, but it was more about showing the newest games and hardware from 2008. The event not only provided game lovers a place to walk around and play but also attracted many "cosplayers", who dressed as their favourite game or animation character's costume. At this time, all these events stayed alive even gaming and esports were not famous in the Netherlands.
What started off in small halls with a couple of tenths if not hundreds players quickly grew to events hosted in big halls with thousand gamers attending events for fun and competition. As the esports world evolved with its games and popularity, the popularity of these events grew as well. With the help of Twitch it became easily
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possible to broadcast events online locally and internationally in English. Since 2013, a Dutch organisation named GamersHub has been broadcasting all esports events in the Benelux on Twitch, making sure no big esports competitions would be missed. However, the esports scene stagnated and did not really grow. The events had a maximum of thousand players for many years, not able to find other sponsors or hire bigger halls to make their events grow. There was not yet enough interest in the Netherlands, which also had to do with the negative stigma surrounding the gaming world. Which company wants to support people that are called "nolifers" in daily life?
However, it did not hold us gamers back to show the passion for what we do. Years of explaining to people that esports is a real thing, and now it has growing bit by bit, that we are also studying, doing sports, have girlfriends and actually sleep long nights. There was years of laughter because people didn't believe us, or thought it was unwise being a so called "professional gamer". The people that took us down, are now the ones asking the questions. The Dutch Esportbond was established even before 2010 but had zero influence in the Netherlands, with the chairman not having enough time to get things started. However, he build a team around him with people that turned out to be enormously relevant for esports in the Netherlands. I was asked to become an ambassador of the Dutch Esportbond in 2014, which I accepted without doubt. Wanting to change people's mindset was my goal since that was one of the key aspects to make esports grow in the Netherlands. How will you attract more people to events, or have companies and unknowns show interest in gaming and esports if they have no clue about this world? Information became the key.
After becoming an ambassador, the media quickly showed interest in esports. They noticed the growth of esports and figured out that esports has interests in joining the Olympics. In 2014 an important media interview started changing the mindset of people in the Netherlands. I was then invited to have an interview with one of the biggest news channels in the Netherlands, immediately having the opportunity to show the Netherlands that the stigma was incorrect. After this interview a booming amount
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of interviews followed on all kinds of channels, radio stations and newspapers. Out of nowhere, people saw a "normal" person being a professional gamer. Minds were blown.
With this starting change in mindset, companies slowly started exploring esports as well as people visit more events. With this success, more organisations were motivated to host multiple smaller events all over the Netherlands by using gaming and esports as a marketing tool. Media was also interested in esports but had no idea how to broadcast it. However, a well-known producer in the Netherlands, Joost Roset, decided to take on this challenge and make a show including a student competition in the game League of Legends. In February 2016, Inside Esports was born broadcasting on FOX-Sports, a program hosting the Dutch College League (DCL). In the DCL, teams battled for a ticket to the International esport Federation World Championships. Due to great success the Eredivisie, the professional soccer league, wanted to have an FIFA esports competition broadcasted on FOX-Sports. Early 2017 each club in the Netherlands signed a top FIFA player to participate in the Dutch FIFA competition as well as to represent the club internationally. As soccer in the Netherlands is famous, this FIFA competition attracted lots of attention making people know about esports immediately. Besides the FIFA competition new on television, Inside Esports expanded to multiple competitions in 2017, hosting competitions in CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends. Finally, I was the first esports athlete in the Netherlands to receive a topsport status from a university, making me attend my esports activities by getting time off from university.
With all the developments and attention in 2017, it has been an amazing year for gaming and esports in the Netherlands. The community is carrying esports and gaming, making it move forward with brilliant ideas and developments. The gaming world evolves rapidly, and new steps are being taken daily. It is a sport that's here to stay for a long time.
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Anticipation and Excitement at the 2018 Taipei Game Show
Report edited by the APEC Sports Newsletter editorial group
The Taipei Game Show has become a premier destination for domestic and international gamers since its establishment in 2003. The Show was once again held in Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 and triggered a video game upsurge, this year from January 25 to 29. An average of 80,000 people attended the show each day, with total visitor numbers for the popular annual event reaching 350,000.
A multitude of gaming enthusiasts attended the 2018 Taipei Game Show.
The Taipei Game Show is centered on the game industry. Since the beginning, it has consistently maintained its business-and-consumer orientation. The exhibition space was divided into 2 zones: the "B2B Zone" for members of the gaming industry and the "B2C Zone" for consumers. This year, the B2C Zone brought the most popular online, mobile, console, and virtual reality games together under one roof. Visitors also found the latest esports peripherals combined with skills training sessions that attracted great numbers of enthusiasts and served as a platform for direct interaction between esports teams and gamers.
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The B2C Zone's Indie House was a special area that showcased the works of indie game developers. It also provided a channel for developers to market their own games directly to gamers. Indie House had its debut in 2016, with twenty-eight indie game developers from six economies exhibiting their products. This year, the theme was Games Unlimited. With eighty-eight indie game developers from Japan; the Republic of Korea; Macau and Hong Kong, China; Thailand; India; Australia; the United States; the United Kingdom; France; Switzerland; Finland; Italy; and Austria, Indie House was essentially turned into an indie game developer version of the United Nations. The products on display spanned the computer, mobile, and virtual reality formats. Gamers and developers interacted warmly with each other, which is good indication that gamers' are showing an increasing interest in indie games. To facilitate exchanges between gamers and developers, the organizer divided Indie House into four sub-zones: the domestic market, Northeast Asia, Europe/North America/Oceania/Southeast Asia, and VR. This allowed gamers to learn about different cultures while trying out the games.
Indie developers used game demos to attract and interact with gamers.
The B2B Zone, on the other hand, served as a platform for game industry exchanges and copyright transactions. It also provided a space for manufacturers and game developers to pitch their products in person. This year, 279 developers, publishers, and digital media distributors from twenty-seven economies were represented in the B2B Zone, including well-known companies such as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and the Republic of Korea's Jeonnam Global Game Center. This impressive lineup attracted 2,400
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The organizer brought outstanding developers together to discuss opportunities.
game industry professionals from around the world. All in all, there were 3,000 business match-up meetings during the course of the show.
The Asia Pacific Game Summit (APGS) worked with the B2B Zone to hold seminars in five subject areas: esports, virtual reality/augmented reality technologies, market trends, game development operations and marketing. They invited game industry experts from nine economies to share the latest information about the industry as well as their own personal experiences. One of the highlights of the APGS was the esports Panel, where professionals and experts discussed the current status of esports, business strategies, as well as how to organize competitions, cultivate gamers' technical and mental skills. Gamers interested in joining or learning more about the game industry were also invited to attend the summit for the first time. The second Asia Pacific Game Summit of 2018
Experts shared their knowledge during the Asia Pacific Game Summit.
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will be held on Sept. 22 in Tokyo, Japan to further promote the development of the game industry. Topics that will be explored include game design and development as well as virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. It is hoped that this summit will create new opportunities for the Asian gaming market. Taipei Computer Association Secretary General Enoch Du (left) and Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association The annual Taipei Game Show is an Chairperson Hideki Okamura (right) shake important stage for interaction between the hands during the MOU signing ceremony. game industries of different economies. In 2017, the Taipei Game Show signed its first memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Korea's premier game show, Global Game Exhibition G-STAR (Game Show & Trade, All-Round), an event attended by numerous well-known game developers and distributors. The MOU will facilitate future exchanges between the two economies. This year, Taipei Game Show promoter-The Korea Association of Game Industry Chairperson Kang Shin-chul (right) and Taipei Computer Association signed a MoU Taipei Game Show organizing committee with the Computer Entertainment Supplier's chief executive Wu Wen-jung (left) jointly announce that G-STAR and Taipei Game Show Association (CESA), the organizer of the have signed an MOU. Tokyo Game Show, to forge a partnership between Asia's two most important game shows. CESA Chairperson Hideki Okamura revealed this to be CESA's first MOU with a foreign game show in its twenty-two-year history. In the future, the two sides will work together across the board to deepen their relationship and promote game industry exchanges.
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The 2018 IeSF Esports World Championship Will Take Place in Kaohsiung
Written by the Chinese Taipei Esports Association
The International esports Federation (IeSF) has announced that the beautiful port city of Kaohsiung will host the 10th Esports World Championship in 2018. The 2018 Esports World Championship is scheduled to take place at the Kaohsiung Arena (K-Arena) from November 9 to 11 and is expected to surpass all previous championships in scale with hundreds of players, officials, and press representatives from over fifty different delegations in attendance.
The visual design draft for the 10th Esports World Championship
The IeSF Esports World Championship is the largest international esports competition organized by the Federation. It is also the largest esports competition with delegations from all over the world. The IeSF, which was established in Seoul, Korea in 2008, launched the first IeSF Challenge in 2009. The Challenge gradually transformed into what is now the IeSF Esports World Championship, an international event that all member economies enthusiastically participate in. Previous host cities for the IeSF Esports World
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Championship include Seoul, Busan, Bucharest, Baku, and Jakarta.
In contrast to other commercial esports competitions, the IeSF Esports World Championship views esports as a formal sports category. Therefore, the ceremonial aspects and scale of the IeSF Esports World Championship are comparable to other formal sporting events in which member economies form teams to compete. The The official athletes' oath ceremony at the IeSF Esports previous nine editions of the IeSF World Championship Esports World Championship included eleven competition categories, making the IeSF Esports World Championship a major competition and exchange platform for its member delegations. Moreover, the Championship plays a key role in promoting esports and in correcting public stereotypes about esports. Major sporting competitions such as the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games as well as many international sporting organizations refer to the rise of the IeSF Esports World Championship when managing their own sports, a fact which further highlights the amazing success of the IeSF Esports World Championship.
The IeSF Esports World Championship is immensely popular. Applications to host the tournament are subject to certain criteria such as the applying delegation's official level of participation in esports, the comprehensiveness and feasibility of the proposal, the esports experience and capabilities of cooperating local organizations, government support, and the extent of the applying delegations' domestic esports promotion and future planning. During the final interview, five committee members of the IeSF Esports World Championship Organizing Committee raised questions concerning event planning, the applying delegation's experience in holding sporting events, the degree
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of logistical planning involved, budgeting, regulatory requirements, international and diplomatic policies, and relations between the central or local government and the relevant organizations. The committee members then compiled the results of the interview and submitted the document to the IeSF Council, which made the final decision regarding which applicant is to host the next IeSF Esports World Championship.
After this series of stringent application evaluations, the IeSF announced during the closing ceremony of the 9th IeSF Esports World Championship on November 12, 2017 that Kaohsiung had been selected as the host for the next IeSF Esports World Championship. After the announcement, Vice President Pei-Ching Hsu of the Chinese Taipei Esports Association (CTESA) officially took over the flag of the IeSF Esports World Championship. In front of officials, press members, and esports athletes from around the world, Hsu declared the dedication and keenness of Kaohsiung and its sports circles to promote esports. She also pledged that Chinese Taipei would make full use of its experience in organizing major sporting events to provide the assorted delegations with the best possible experience during the championship.
CTESA Vice President Pei-Ching Hsu receives the IeSF Esports World Championship flag from IeSF Secretary General Alex Lim
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Group photo of important members of the CTESA and the committee members of the IeSF Esports World Championship Organizing Committee (From left: IeSF Athletes' Commission Chairperson Jason Batzofin, CTESA Deputy Secretary-General Tzu-Yen Hung, CTESA Vice President Pei-Ching Hsu, IeSF Secretary- General Alex Lim, Swedish e-Sports Federation Chairman Magnus Jonsson, Mind Sports South Africa General Secretary Colin Webster, and IeSF Athletes’ Commission Member Koen Schobbers)
The Kaohsiung City Government, co-host of the 2018 IeSF Esports World Championship, has pledged to handle all welcoming activities, security, transportation, and city sightseeing tours at the same level as the 2009 World Games, which also took place in Kaohsiung. In addition, students from nearly forty vocational high schools and colleges that are involved in industry-academic collaborations with CTESA will also take part in the organization of the 2018 IeSF Esports World Championship. By hosting the international event, the public is allowed to develop a more in-depth understanding of the thriving industry of esports.
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Countdown to Jakarta Palembang 2018 – the 18th Asian Games
Written by the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee
The Asian Games, held every four years, is one of the five major events promoted by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). It provides a platform for Asian athletes to gain international exposure. The 18th Asian Games will kick off on August 18 this year in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and in Palembang, the capital of The mascots of the 18th Asian Games are three South Sumatra. Indonesia last held the animals native to Eastern, Western, and Northern Asia Games in 1962. This year's edition Indonesia; used collectively as mascots for the games, they underscore Indonesia’s sense of unity. will also mark the first Asian Games that are being co-hosted in two cities.
The Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) held a meeting for heads of delegations in December 2017 that was attended by two hundred Olympic committee representatives from 45 Asian delegations. In accordance with
its rights and obligations as a member Group Photo of the meeting for delegation heads of OCA, the Chinese Taipei Olympic held by the INASGOC in December 2017. Committee sent a team led by Deputy Secretary-General Yu-Fang Lee to the meeting to acquire the latest event information, survey the various venues and athletes' villages, and confirm and validate relevant details.
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The Games are scheduled to take place from August 18 to September 2, 2018. Over 10,000 of Asia's finest athletes from 45 delegations will be competing in 462 sporting events in 67 categories across 40 competitive sports. Among these, 32 are Olympic sports and 8 are non-Olympic sports. Sports include: aquatic sports, archery, athletics, badminton, baseball and softball, basketball, bowling, boxing, bridge, canoe/kayak, cycling, equestrian sports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, jet skiing, judo, kabaddi, karate, martial arts, paragliding, modern pentathlon, roller sports, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, sepak takraw, shooting, sport climbing, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling. The program also includes skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, and sport climbing that will be stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
It was announced at the meeting that the 18th Asian Games will include a total of eighty-one competition venues in four clusters (three in Jakarta and one in Palembang). In organizing the event, the INASGOC concentrated its efforts on upgrading existing venues, only building new venues as an auxiliary measure.
The competition and training venues in Jakarta are grouped into three clusters, the Jakarta 1 Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Cluster, the Jakarta 2 JIEXPO Cluster, and the Jakarta Suburb Cluster. All competition and training venues in Palembang are located in and around Jakabaring Sport City. The GBK Cluster was the main venue of the 4th Asian Games, which took place in Jakarta in 1962. With renovations now complete, the GBK Stadium seats approximately 77,000 spectators and will serve as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 18th Asian Games.
The main competition venues in Jakarta for the 18th Asian Games
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The Athletes' Village in Jakarta, built by the Indonesia government, includes seven buildings with accommodations (six of which are designated for the various delegations) and one dining facility. Lodgings are divided into 36 m2 units with a double room, a single room, a bathroom, and a living The newly-built Aquatic Center will host competitions room for a total of 9,688 rooms such as swimming, diving, and water polo. with a capacity of 14,532 people. The Palembang Athletes' Village is located within Jakabaring Sport City and includes nine buildings with accommodations and one dining facility. The Palembang Athletes' Village has 1,076 units, each comprising a room and a bathroom. In total, the Palembang Athletes' Village can house 3,030 people. It is estimated that INASGOC will recruit 20,000 volunteers for the event and 5,000 members of the press to report on the event. The 18th Asian Games, co-hosted by the two cities, is a highly anticipated event that has captured the attention of the world.
Olympic committees from around the region visit the newly built Athletes’ Village in Jakarta.
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Korfball Aims for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia
IKF Asia / Press Release
Proposed by Prof. Supranee Kwanboonchan, President of Thailand Korfball Association, the IKF (International Korfball Federation, IKF) level 1 course for referees and coaches took placed at the Sports Center of Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) from February 3 to February 5, 2018. The 3-day course aimed at enhancing the overall level and skills of the korfball referees and coaches.
This event was organized under the close cooperation among IKF Asia, Thailand Korfball Association, SWU and National Taipei University of Education (NTUE). Prof. Inglish YC Huang, the IKF Asia President, conducted the coach course while IKF Instructor Ms. Bird FY Hsieh conducted the Referee course. With Sports Administration's support, 18 elite korfball players of NTUE got a grant from "New Southbound Policy" to take part in the course as teaching assistant providing all the participants with a more effective and efficient approach to acquire the skills they need.
These parallel coach and referee courses attracted 44 and 30 participants respectively from Cambodia; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei and Thailand, a record-breaking number of participating economies in an IKF level 1 Coach and Referee Courses.
Apart from the education courses, A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed
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by the President of TKA Supranee Kwanboonchan and the IKF President Asia Prof. Huang, which was witnessed by the participants, sponsors, and media in the morning on 3rd February. The objective of this MoU is to state the partnership between TKA and the IKF Asia toward korfball as a sport for all and as an elite sport in Thailand. Furthermore, the mixed training with the players of NTUE and the players of Thailand U19, U16, and Open grade squad teams were done in the evening Feb 4th.
In the light of Prof. Supranee Kwanboonchan's high profile as the current President of ASEAN Council of Physical Education and Sport, IKF Asia will maintain its close cooperation with Prof. Supranee Kwanboonchan for spreading Korfball not only in Thailand but further in the ASEAN economies by means of her tremendous influential strength. A feasibly crucial goal is to deliver korfball into the competition programs of 2023 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia.
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An Assembly of Olympians - The Establishment of the Chinese Taipei Olympians Association
Written by the Chinese Taipei Olympians Association
The Chinese Taipei Olympians Association, established on Nov. 21, 2017 with the full support of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, is made up of athletes who have participated in past Olympic Games. Now, Olympians will have to look no further to find a place that they can call their own, as this association creates a platform for them to connect with one another. The association has already begun the application process to join the World Olympians Association (WOA).
The World Olympians Association was established in 1995 with the blessing of the International Olympic Committee to promote excellence, integrity, respect, friendship, solidarity, and inspiration. Its members are Olympians from all over the world.
An Olympian is any athlete who has Olympians and honored guests pose for a group photo won the right to participate in a at the press conference announcing the establishment of the Chinese Taipei Olympians Association. Summer or Winter Olympic Games. There are currently over 100,000 Olympians around the world. The mission of the WOA is to harness the power of sports, the capabilities, and potential of the athletes to foster social cohesion as well as make it possible to move beyond race, religion, and social differences.
In 2016, the WOA published its forward-looking Strategic Plan 2017-2020 with the aim of strengthening the WOA and promoting its objectives. Strategic goals include maintaining the long-term development of Olympians Associations across the globe,
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establishing a more stable organizational structure, consolidating relationships with the various Olympians Associations as well as providing direct support and valuable services to Olympians. For example, the WOA's Post-career Health Initiatives and Life Transition and Education Program support Olympians by offering them university scholarships, internships, and coach training programs. In this way, Olympians can begin planning for a whole new chapter in their lives beyond the sports arena.
The Chinese Taipei Olympians Association was established to serve as a platform for Olympians to share the invaluable experience they have gained from their training, competition successes, setbacks, and to exchange information on their post-retirement careers and initiatives. It also offers Olympians a chance to pass on their invaluable knowledge to younger generations of athletes. Olympians have gained much from society, and should give back by utilizing a combination of social and corporate resources for mutual support and sharing to pass on their knowledge. The association hopes to provide positive example for society with their endeavors and precious experiences.
The association has already drafted a complete work plan to increase its effectiveness in promoting various activities. Short-term plans include establishing a local Olympian database to reconnect with out-of-touch Olympians and selecting service objectives with the goal of launching a series of service activities. Medium-term plans include integrating with the World Olympians Association, actively participating in the WOA's service activities, and promoting the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee during Olympic Games to raise its international visibility. The Chinese Taipei Olympians Association will also organize regular events to allow Olympians to share their experiences with others, and help Olympians to develop valuable skills and forge new career paths through training programs and matchmaking events with companies. In the long-term, the Association hopes to achieve sustainable athletic development and establish an Olympic museum to house artifacts from Olympians and private collectors and to serve as an Olympics archive. In this way, the Olympic Spirit of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play can be passed on, and the sacrifices made by every Olympian will never be forgotten.
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ASPN Related Events
2018
2018 Santaizi ATP Challenger 7 Taipei
Apr
The Santaizi ATP Challenger has aroused great attention ▲ since its first edition in 2014 due to the unprecedented combination of international sporting event and "Santaizi" one of the main religious beliefs of the Chinese. Its unique 15 serve toss that replaces coins with moon blocks was reported by ATP's official website, and then caused a sensation. As one Apr of the strongest Asian swings in the ATP Challenger calendar, Santaizi ATP Challenger has upgraded to 150K this year. More world-class players are expected to compete at the event and to experience local culture.
SportAccord Convention 2018 15 Bangkok, Thailand
Apr
The SportAccord Convention, an annual gathering of ▲ representatives and senior executives from individual international sports federations, will soon be held at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Center at 20 CentralWorld. This is the first time in its fifteen years of existence that SportAccord will be held in this Southeast Apr Asian city. Thailand will launch a special event named "Sports Festival" in celebration of this year's convention, with sports performances and activities held every evening in the square in front of the convention center, transforming it into a fun stage for visiting conference attendees and local residents alike to enjoy.
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, Round 8: Singapore World 28 Rugby Sevens Series Singapore
Apr ▲ Starting in 2016, Singapore officially joined the cities of Dubai, Sydney, Vancouver, Hong Kong, London, and Paris to become one of the host cities for the HSBC Rugby Sevens Series. Singapore 29 hosts the Series in April of every year, with matches being held in its new National Stadium in the Singapore Sports Hub complex. Apr This world-class sporting event attracts rugby fans from all over the world. Spectators can immerse themselves in the excitement of the games and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Singapore and the amazing new facilities of the Sports Hub.
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ASPN Related Events
17th World University Golf Championships 16 Lubao, Philippines
May
The 17th World University Golf Championships will be ▲ held in Lubao, Philippines from May 16 to 19, which makes the Philippines the third economy in Asia to host the tournament after Chinese Taipei and Thailand 19 in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Twenty-two delegations around the world will be vying for top honors. The May competition sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation will feature individual and team classifications.
2018 FIFA World Cup 14 Moscow, Russia
Jun
The 21st FIFA World Cup is jointly sponsored by the six ▲ regional FIFA football confederations. This year, a roster of thirty-two teams will compete for the championship. The one-month event, held at twelve venues in eleven cities 15 across Russia, will officially kick off in Moscow on June 14 in the Russian capital. Four years have passed since the last Jul World Cup tournament, and teams from all over the world are revved up and ready to chase their dream of winning the championship trophy. So strap in and get ready for another wave of global soccer upsurge!
18 International Conference on Adaptations and Nutrition in Sports (ICANS) Chonburi, Thailand
Jul ▲ This conference is organized by The International Society for Adaptive Medicine (ISAM), Asian Nutrition Society for Sports Health (ANSSH), Office of Naval Research Science and Technology (ONGR), Khon Kaen University (KKU), and The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT). 20 This conference will be focused on nutrition and adaptations (physiologic, psychologic and coaching-training are all included.) Jul
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CALL FOR ARTICLES
This FT (Feature Topic) targets a mixed audience of researchers and investigators from public and private sectors, including those from ASPN members, APEC member economies, other experts and business representative, to share and exchange new concepts, ideas, principles, and methodologies, aiming to advance education and career development for athletes. We seek high quality articles for the column of Perspectives on Regional Sports Issues, which, have not been published elsewhere to topics of interest including, but not limited to, the following:
● Sports Industry Development
● Sports Facility Management
● Sports for All
● School Physical Education
● Training Programs for Competitive Athletes
● APEC Regional Sports Games (policies to support holding the sports games, volunteer training, venue operation⋯etc)
SUBMISSIONS
Article length (introduction through conclusions) should be between 700 and 1,000 words with picture(s). All articles must be submitted through the APEC Sports Policy Network (ASPN) Secretariat (Ms. Lily Pu: [email protected]). Please kindly submit your article in the form of Microsoft word format (.doc or .docx), if you used latex software for article preparation, please send your article in PDF format. Once your article is adopted by the ASPN Secretariat, you will receive the remuneration of US$100 for your contribution.
Publisher: Te-Fu Lin, Director-General, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education Published by APEC Sports Policy Network(ASPN) Secretariat Email: [email protected] 38