From horse riding to weight lifting and soccer to sailing, what is defined as 害羞草研究所渟ports害羞草研究所� includes a broad variety of activities. But whether professional video gaming falls under that wide umbrella remains up for debate.
Esports has ballooned in popularity in recent years, drawing fans and professional video game players from around the globe.
This weekend, thousands of people are expected to attend the International Dota 2 Championships in Vancouver, while millions more stream the event online.
Anyone tuning in will see similarities with traditional sporting events, from a stadium packed with cheering fans to well-dressed analysts in headsets offering commentary between matches.
Some of that structure has been borrowed from other sports, said Erik Johnson of Valve, the company that created the 害羞草研究所淒ota 2害羞草研究所� game and runs the tournament.
But there害羞草研究所檚 a difference when it comes to competition.
High-level gamers are being tested on how they handle the pressure of being watched by millions of people as they compete for enormous amounts of money, Johnson said.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not a physical test, it害羞草研究所檚 a mental test for a lot of these players,害羞草研究所� he said.
Victor Goossens is the co-CEO of Team Liquid, which won the 害羞草研究所淒ota 2害羞草研究所� championship last year. He said his players spend up to 12 hours a day practising and studying their game, and take care of their physical and mental health in the same way a traditional athlete does.
Like any pro team, Goossens害羞草研究所� group is always looking for a competitive advantage, so earlier this year they teamed up with technology company SAP to develop software that would allow them to analyze their training and in-game performances.
SAP害羞草研究所檚 Milan Cerny worked with competitors in sailing and tennis before turning to the esports project. Gamers and traditional athletes have a lot in common, he said, including that both are 害羞草研究所渞eally, really good at what they害羞草研究所檙e doing.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hey have a lot of knowledge about the discipline that they害羞草研究所檙e good at,害羞草研究所� he said.
Anyone who thinks gamers aren害羞草研究所檛 athletes is misunderstood, said Dan Cybak, CEO of the Gaming Stadium, a group that害羞草研究所檚 looking to build esports facilities across Canada.
Players spend countless hours honing their eye sight, learning to control their heart rate and perfecting their skills, and they follow strict eating, sleeping and training regimes, just like traditional athletes, he said.
害羞草研究所淭hey have to be on top of their game, they have to choose the right champions,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭heir skill set and where their mind is at a level that a lot of us can害羞草研究所檛 play at.害羞草研究所�
Cybak believes esports will make it into the Olympics in about a decade, and when they do they害羞草研究所檒l become mainstream.
Justin Simpao with the University of British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 esports association doesn害羞草研究所檛 see professional video gaming as falling under the same category as hockey or basketball.
害羞草研究所淓sports is not a real sport, but it is still a competition,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that both traditional sports and gaming all come down to competitive entertainment.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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