Olympic Esports Week action kicks off at Suntec

SINGAPORE – On a typical day, Suntec City mall is usually bustling with shoppers.

But on Friday, the nearby Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre was also teeming with activity, as participants pedalled hard on stationary bikes and dancers decked in colourful outfits lit up the stage on the first day of

the inaugural Olympic Esports Week.

The four-day event, which was created by the International Olympic Committee for showcasing virtual sports and gaming, is not a traditional Olympic competition as its line-up comprises 10 virtual sports.

Strobe lights and blaring music kicked off the event as 16 riders dressed in cycling lycra took to the stage wearing headbands, with towels draped over their bikes.

In front of them were screens showing their power output, while behind them, huge screens displayed their avatars racing in the virtual circuit in interactive platform Zwift. 

For many, it was their first in-person race after taking part in many virtual events.

In fact, it was the first time that the members of Team Fuego, the winning side, had met one another.

One of their members, South African James Barnes, said: “It was weird because it was not meeting the person for the first time, it was like meeting an old friend and you’re kind of carrying on a conversation that you’ve been having for many years.

“I met (German teammate) Martin (Maertens) for the first time in the bus, but we started talking as if we last saw each other last week.

“I was losing my voice (cheering for my teammates), it was so much more exciting to see.”

Teammate Lou Bates from Britain said: “It’s nice that we’re in the same place racing so we can just speak to each other... rather than when we’re all at home when we have the headsets and we’re speaking over various forms of technology. It’s really nice that we can get off our bikes and support each other.”

Also contested on Friday were the archery, sailing and dancesport competitions.

Jared Montgomery, who won the archery event, said it was “nerve-racking” initially as he adjusted to competing in a live setting.

The American added: “When we were playing qualifiers, we were sitting alone at home, no distractions.

“But there’s a lot of sounds going on here and lights glaring at you so it was distracting, but we got through it.”

Just as the day had started with a high-octane contest on the bikes, it ended with a lively show with the Just Dance competition.

Dancers came out in striking outfits, drawing cheers from the audience as they completed their routines.

But the loudest applause was reserved for Singapore’s Siti Zhywee Ramle, with the crowd also waving the host country’s flags as she stepped on the stage.

Apart from the competitions, there were booths where event attendees could try out various simulated sports on consoles and virtual reality headsets.

Undergraduates Hanif Mohamed Yacob and Mohamed Zaheer Mohamed Zain, who are gamers, decided to attend the event as they were curious about what it had to offer.

The event had been criticised for not including big game titles such as Dota 2 and League of Legends. While impressed by the production, Zaheer, 25, was confused about the target audience.

He said: “I don’t know who this is for... The people who play games aren’t going to be interested in this, the people who play sports aren’t going to be interested in this.

“To be optimistic, if it’s to get people to play sports more, more power to them. But at the same time I can’t help but feel like it’s an advertisement for some games...

“There are a lot of virtual reality headset advertisements, so I’m very sceptical but I’ll try to enjoy it as best as I can.”