The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has agreed an exploratory partnership with the Global Esports Federation (GEF) that aims to develop a Commonwealth Esports strategy.
The partnership will see the CGF and GEF work together on specific areas aligned to Transformation 2022 – the Commonwealth Sport Movement's Strategic Plan.
The partnership will initially focus on:
• Conducting an analysis of the status of Esports in the Commonwealth and its capacity to support and advance our vision and mission through the joint development of a values-based Commonwealth Esports strategy;
• Exploring and developing athlete-centred, sport-focused initiatives and campaigns that harness and elevate the principles of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, Integrity and Innovation, among others, in Esports across the Commonwealth; and
• Exploring the development of sustainable Esports properties (competitions and development initiatives) that could benefit CGAs and the wider Commonwealth through partnerships and promotional opportunities that connect and serve athletes, citizens and communities.
CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: “In recent years, we have seen the dramatic rise of Esports in terms of popularity and participation, particularly the participation of young people.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in Esports globally has continued to increase significantly which demonstrates an important characteristic of connecting people during a difficult period.
“For some time now, the CGF has been looking for a way to formally engage with Esports, to explore how it can align with the Commonwealth Sports Movement and its support of the sustainable development of digital infrastructure, connectivity and commerce across the Commonwealth.
“In the Global Esports Federation, we know we have the right partner to help us undertake this exciting piece of work.”
GEF President Chris Chan said: “We are honoured to embark on this strategic partnership and support the Commonwealth Games Federation. This partnership further strengthens the Global Esports Federation’s mission of convening the world’s Esports ecosystem.”
“The GEF Board and I look forward to working together with Dame Louise Martin and the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement. We congratulate the CGF for the work they do every day, developing sports across the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories, and beyond.”
“This partnership allows us to develop a pathway together for an inclusive, progressive, and visionary future for the youth and the entire Commonwealth – North to South, East to West – reaching across a third of the world’s population.
“The future of Esports continues to be bright, and we look forward to developing great collaborations across the world; elevating Esports based on the traditions and values of sport and the principle of harnessing technology for good.”
ENDS
Esports and the Commonwealth
• 65% of the Commonwealth’s 2 billion citizens are under the age of 30
• Data suggests that 16-24-year-olds are more likely to watch esports tournaments (32%) to traditional sports tournaments (31%) with 44% watching live streams of video games
• 89% of adults in the Commonwealth have a mobile connection today and just under half of them are using data services
• Among adults in the Commonwealth who access the internet, 82% access it on mobile devices
• By 2022 almost everyone online in the Commonwealth will have a smartphone and access to sufficient bandwidth to stream video
• Individual media consumption across all form of media has increased from 7 hours to 8 hours per individual per day
About the CGF
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport.
About the GEF
The Global Esports Federation (GEF) was born from a vision to convene the world’s esports ecosystem. The GEF seeks to establish the credibility, legitimacy, and prestige for esports, building an inclusive platform to maximise the potential for esports and its participants. The GEF Board and its related Commissions bring together diverse leaders from esports, gaming, world sporting organisations, athletes, entrepreneurs – together with technologists, educators, and professional experts – elevating the understanding and awareness of esports and to enhance the esports experience.
With a vision to cultivate collaboration, forge synergies, strengthen, develop, and grow the interface between the traditional esports and active esports communities, the GEF establishes the voice and world authority for the worldwide esports movement. The future of esports continues to be bright and the GEF seeks to support this by cultivating the knowledge, experiences, and history of the industry combined with respecting the traditions and values of sport and the principles of utilising technology for good.
Tencent, one of the world’s leading technology companies, is the Founding Global Partner of the GEF. www.globalesports.org #worldconnected
For more information please contact:
CGF Media and Communications Manager
Tom Degun
+ 44 (0) 7788 580790
t.degun@thecgf.com
GEF Head of Communications
Gabriel Q Chan
+65 9182 7713
gabriel.chan@globalesports.org