Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports Bill 2022: In order to bring esports to the mainstream sports ecosystem, the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has raised questions on the inclusion of esports and clubbing it with fantasy sports in the recently announced Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports (Regulation) Bill 2022, released by the Revenue Department of the state. ESFI has termed this Bill as detrimental to the growth of esports in India. Follow 14th World Esports Championships updates at InsideSport.IN
While the Rajasthan Revenue Ministry asked for comments and suggestions from all the stakeholders on the proposed draft by Saturday (May 28), ESFI along with its affiliated association from Rajasthan have shared their concerns, requesting that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sports Minister Ashok Chandna to remove esports from being part of Virtual Online Sports and the bill.
Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports Bill 2022: ESFI questions the inclusion of esports in the proposed draft of the Rajasthan Virtual Online Sports (Regulation) Bill 2022
ESFI has also requested Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, MoS – Sports Nishith Pramanik, and Secretary Sports Sujata Chaturvedi for their immediate intervention, as esports is an extension of sports and should be removed from the draft bill.
“It’s important to understand that not all games played electronically are esports. The outcome of any esports match is solely and purely dependent/based on the skills (physical & mental) and performances of the esports athletes are just like cricket, badminton etc. It’s absolutely wrong to club esports (a sport) with fantasy gaming or anything other than sports,” said Vinod Tiwari, President of ESFI, Director – International & NOC Relations of Olympic Council of Asia and Convenor-Esports Committee, Olympic Council of Asia
“We are seeing technology evolution all across and esports is the tech evolution of sports. It is a sport recognized by world sporting bodies like IOC, OCA and Commonwealth, etc., and is being governed by the sport’s rules/laws of the various countries, just like any other sport. Esports is an all-inclusive sport, restricting and/or limiting and/or regulating it the way it’s been proposed in the draft bill will only be detrimental to the growth of our sport and the development of the grassroots in the state of Rajasthan or any other Indian state which is planning any such bill on the similar lines.” – Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) added.
“Esports is a sport”; hence, it cannot be clubbed with Fantasy Sports. Esports is recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is the apex body of sports along with the Olympic Council of Asia (hereinafter referred to as the “OCA”), Commonwealth Games, etc. And they have included esports in their multiple events.
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