Inaugural Olympic Esports Week begins with dazzling Opening Ceremony in Singapore

The Olympic Esports Week was officially declared open on 22 June at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo credit to Olympic Esports Week 2023 Local Organising Committee

Singapore, 23 June 2023 – The curtains to the inaugural Olympic Esports Week 2023 were officially raised yesterday evening, following a spectacular Opening Ceremony which used innovative technologies to celebrate a collaboration of the physical and virtual worlds. The event was officially declared open by co-Guest of Honour Her Excellency Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, who gave a virtual address at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. Approximately 1,000 invited guests attended the opening ceremony, including:

• Mr Ng Ser Miang, Vice President, International Olympic Committee
• Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law
• Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry
• Ms Li Lingwei, Member of the International Olympic Committee and Member of the Olympic Council of Asia
• Dr Karl Stoss, Member of the International Olympic Committee

The Olympic Movement came together in Singapore to celebrate the start of the first Olympic Esports Week – IOC’s festival of virtual sports and gaming – which is taking place at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre over the next three days. It is created in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Sport Singapore (SportSG), and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC).

In a message delivered via hologram at the Opening Ceremony, co-Guest of Honour IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the players: “The next days will be a time to make history – a celebration of the best of virtual sport and esports – a time for the players to showcase their excellence and their passion for sport. To all the players: now is your moment to shine. Always compete in the spirit of excellence, respect and fair-play. Because being a true champion is about so much more than winning.”

President Bach also thanked Singapore for hosting the Olympic Esports Week: “My heartfelt thanks and congratulations go to the Organising Committee, the Singapore public authorities, and to the Singapore National Olympic Council for their great support to prepare the stage in such an excellent way for the players.”

The official Opening Ceremony brought together the physical and virtual worlds, and celebrated inclusivity and diversity. Led by Creative Director Beatrice Chia-Richmond, highlights included a performance by Singapore musicians ShiGGa Shay and Aisyah Aziz, and a specially curated spoken word poem written by Adam Tie, and performed by Gosteloa Spancer accompanied by a sign language performance by deaf performer Faaiqah. Innovative technologies were deployed across holographic projection technology, laser projection mapping, and automation to create a magical show that married the physical and digital worlds.

Each of the 10 unique events in the Olympic Esports Series – the thrilling live finals action of which will be a highlight of the Olympic Esports Week – was introduced through a series of innovative displays representing the virtual form of its sport, including archery, baseball, chess, cycling, dance, shooting, motor sports, taekwondo, and tennis.

Ng Ser Miang, IOC Vice President, said: “Thank you for giving Singapore another great opportunity to co-create a stunning event with IOC after the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games Singapore 2010. Singapore is a country with one of the best technology and innovation eco systems, and we are honoured to be at the centre once again of such an innovative event and exciting milestone in the Olympic Esports Week, helping to bridge the gap between sports, esports and games.”

The IOC’s Olympic Esports Series 2023 began in March, when both professional and amateur players across the world were invited to participate in the virtual sports competition, created by IOC in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers. Approximately 500,000 players entered qualification rounds with hopes of securing their place in the first in-person finals of the Olympic Esports Series.

131 finalists, including 18 from Singapore, will be competing on the global stage over three days starting today (23 June) in front of fans, for Gold, Silver and Bronze Olympic Esports Series 2023 trophies. All the thrilling live action will be streamed on Olympics.com.

An overview of the Olympic Esports Series 2023 schedule is as follows:

In addition to the Olympic Esports Series, a number of exhibition matches are also set to take place, giving the opportunity to watch some of the world’s best esports players and teams showcase their skills – across popular games titles including Rocket League, NBA2K and Street Fighter.

Those attending the event will also get to experience the latest virtual sports, gaming and esports innovations, in a specially built free-to-play zone. Ahead of the Opening Ceremony, industry experts were invited to share insights and ideas in the Olympic Esports Week Forum at the Raffles City Convention Centre. Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth & Trade and Industry Alvin Tan attended the Forum where he joined a panel discussion on Singapore’s position as a future hub in the global esports landscape. Other topics discussed throughout the afternoon included player welfare, diversity and inclusion.

Tickets to the Olympic Esports Week are available for purchase at https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/olympics0623 with prices starting from S$10 per day. Three-day passes are available from S$20, ensuring that more can witness the making of history and enjoy the epic competitions between some of the world’s best players. Day passes for families (two adults and two students ) are also available from S$25. Sport and gaming fans around the world can follow all the action on Olympics.com and Olympic social media channels from now till 25 June.