The need for external scoring in activities like ice-skating and synchronised swimming is symptomatic of their aesthetic and subjective nature, which puts them closer to dance than sports. But where would boxing fall? After all, boxing ties, when not settled by knockout, are decided by judges’ scores, which are subjective in the sense that they may differ from each other. Any event that requires judges to score it falls more in the realm of art than sport. Moreover, it must allow for an internal scoring system, such as goals, points, or time. Some criteria upon which most would agree are that a sport must necessarily pose a state of competition between participants and that the agenda for a participant must be to win by defeating the opponent/s. Olympic standards aside, the definition of a sport is a divisive topic of discussion amongst sports’ fans around the world. But the Charter is unequivocal about its bans on pure mind-sports, such as Chess, and sports dependent on mechanical propulsion, such as F1, MotoGP, etc. The sports that are eventually featured are selected based on popularity, media interest, and some other factors. There are numerous other rules, some of which are similarly ambiguous. But to be featured at the event, the industry would have to prove it didn’t infringe on Olympic values. It noted that competitive players prepare and train with an intensity comparable to athletes in traditional sports. Case in point, a communique issued last year by the IOC mentioned that eSports showed strong growth and could provide a platform for ‘engagement with the Olympic Movement’. The sport must also increase the “value and appeal” of the Olympic event and reflect its traditions. The Olympic Charter dictates that in order to be featured at the event, a certified sport must be widely practised by men in at least 75 countries and by women in no fewer than 40 countries. An example of such a predicament is that of Ultimate Frisbee, which is recognised as a sport but doesn’t feature at the Olympic Games. But the certification of ‘sport’ alone doesn’t guarantee a spot.
#Bastion definition code#
Next, this organisation must enforce the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code and maintain the rules set forth by the Olympic Charter.Īfter an activity has been formally recognised as a ‘sport’, the administering organisation must apply for admittance to the next Olympic event by filing a petition to the IOC. The first qualifier is that the activity must be administered by an international non-governmental organisation. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides which activities merit the title of ‘sport’ and which don’t. But why is that? What are the commonalities between established sports that have earned them the title of ‘sports’? On the other hand, Spikeball, Footgolf and the aforementioned eSports are yet to be universally accepted as sports. No one questions the legitimacy of Cricket, Football, Tennis, or even the slightly less popular games like Rugby, Table Tennis and Lacrosse.
There are some activities that most of us can agree to be sports. ‘What is a sport’ is a question that is devilishly difficult to comprehensively answer in a way that satisfies everyone. My engagement with the topic didn’t end there, and I delved deeper into the different matrices by which society decides what does and doesn’t count as a sport. As I watched the rest of the video though, with its expansive visuals of stadiums filled with spectators, and eye-watering prize money amounts, I started to consider the idea of eSports more seriously. My initial reaction to the news was of ridicule, much like what I had heard from others about Ultimate. It showed how competitive gaming had been gaining popularity across the world, and was even under consideration for Olympic recognition. But these jibes returned to my mind when I came across a Vox video about eSports. I ’d never given these comments much thought and waved them off as the ramblings of those who didn’t understand the game. As an Ultimate Frisbee player, I’ve often been told that I’m not playing a real sport.
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