The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has announced a partnership with the Global Esports Federation (GEF).

The aim of the partnership is to develop a Commonwealth Esports strategy, and it will see the CGF and GEF work together on specific areas aligned to Transformation 2022 – the Commonwealth Sport Movement’s Strategic Plan.

According to the organisations, the partnership will initially focus on three things:

• 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.

Discussing the partnership 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.”

While GEF President, Chris Chan, added:

“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.”

The Commonwealth of Nations originated with the British Empire, but is now a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. It is home to 2.4 billion people, and is currently made up of the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, India, Kenya, Kingdom of eSwatini, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Zambia.

AYO.NEWS says:

The Commonwealth Games are a big deal in much of the world, so the CGF’s enthusiasm for developing an esports strategy is another big boost for esports in terms of going mainstream.

Staying with the GEF, just last week we reported the Singapore-based organisation had confirmed the initial composition of its Athletes and Players Commission, led by Charmaine Crooks and Koen Schobbers.

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.

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