A successful esports trial took place at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022. The idea was to test whether esports athletes could participate alongside traditional sports like swimming and athletics.
A hundred players representing 20 different Commonwealth nations fought for medals in three different video games: Rocket League, Dota2 and eFootball.
Commonwealth Games takes big leap towards esports
The Commonwealth esports championships were held alongside the Commonwealth Games 2022 as a demonstration event. It was not an official CWG medal event. Three titles - Rocket League, eFootball and Dota 2 - each with a women’s and open category were played.
Another Indian team competed in the Rocket League open category, where they were knocked out in the group stages.
Malaysia emerged as the most successful team, winning three golds, followed by England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who won one gold medal each.
The trial was widely regarded as a success. The president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dame Louise Martin, told the BBC: “Going forward this will be a sport within the Games - that’s my personal opinion.”
There is also no doubt esports gaming events have become more popular over the years. Even the coveted Duke of Edinburgh Award now includes esports within its activities list.