Olympics could be next challenge

Will e-sports be a part of the Olympics?

In late December, teenager Li Peinan, who goes by the gaming moniker of TIME, vanquished compatriot Cao Jinhui－aka JIM－in a StarCraft duel to earn the right to represent China at the Intel Extreme Masters Pyeongchang.

The tournament is part of Intel's role in "The Olympic Partner" (TOP) sponsorship program, and will see the world's best players of hit real-time strategy title StarCraft II battle for glory from Feb 5-7 in the lead up to the Winter Games in South Korea.

Li, 17, will face stiff competition in Pyeongchang from 15 other finalists from six continents.

Running in conjunction with the tournament will be an exhibition of Ubisoft's extreme-sports game Steep: Road to the Olympics, the official licensed video game of Pyeongchang 2018.

"We are proud to have our worldwide TOP partner Intel bring this competition to Pyeongchang in the lead up to the 2018 Winter Olympics," said Timo Lumme, managing director of the International Olympic Committee's television and marketing services.

"The IOC will now further explore e-sports' relationship with the Olympic movement. This is just the start of an exciting future and we're interested to see how the experience will play out."

At an October executive board meeting in Lausanne, the IOC concluded that e-sports "could be considered a sporting activity".

"The players involved prepare and train with an intensity comparable to athletes in traditional sports," according to an IOC statement.

Last April the Olympic Council of Asia announced it will include e-sports as an official medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.