Why I believe esports and competitive sports are completely unrelated

The past few years have been quite remarkable, with internet celebrities, live streaming, and esports all becoming increasingly popular. The first two are products of the maturity of internet technology and a new stage of society, catering to people's needs. Esports, however, is completely different. It has a long history, having been all the rage in China around 2001. Afterwards, it was suppressed for a long time due to bans from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and various other relevant departments, until it was lifted a few years ago. With the change of government, the policies also changed.

Having been an athlete since childhood and having been exposed to games at a young age, I have a deep passion and love for esports. In junior high, I was completely engrossed in games like Counter-Strike, Pro Evolution Soccer, StarCraft, and Warcraft 3. When it comes to games, I've always preferred competitive titles and tried to avoid progression-based games. I remember giving up WoW when it came out in 2003 because I didn't want to slowly level up my character. While it seems a bit wasteful now, it did save me a lot of time and effort.

There are many reasons why I like competitive games. Personally, it's because I've always been very competitive, a habit passed down from my athletic background. In sports competitions, there's really no other option but to strive for first place. Esports perfectly suited my thinking. Back then, I was quite knowledgeable about various competitive games, formed a CS team, participated in provincial Pro Evolution Soccer tournaments, and would occasionally provoke my neighbor to play a one-on-one game of Warcraft 3. At that time, I knew about WCG, and it held a place in my heart no less important than the World Cup.

Despite domestic policy crackdowns, the popularity of esports has remained strong, thanks to its solid foundation. First, it's a game, a fundamental aspect that attracts young people. Second, it has a low barrier to entry; it doesn't require extensive training to pick up, and since there's no inherent talent or special training involved, everyone's skill level is roughly the same, making matches thrilling and exciting. If you're losing, studying strategies and practicing can significantly improve your skills. Third, everyone has the opportunity to prove themselves; defeating an opponent brings a tremendous sense of accomplishment, not to mention winning a match.

Therefore, the resurgence of esports' popularity is to be expected. I recently heard that it has even been included in the Asian Games and is applying to become an Olympic event. While I am very much looking forward to national and global leagues, I strongly dislike its integration with competitive sports; in my opinion, these are completely different things.

Sports competition is a contest of human strength, skill, and willpower, with the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger" embodying its essence. As participants in sports, we need to achieve higher levels of competition through physical training and mental adjustment. It's a challenge to the limits of the human body. Often, the most exciting matches are those where the teams are evenly matched. And the most moving matches are those "miracles" born from the sheer power of willpower that emerge when everyone reaches their limits.

Esports, while delivering a level of tension and excitement that matches, or even surpasses, competitive sports, is fundamentally different. Firstly, esports training focuses on proficiency and understanding of the system. Different games have different systems, and different characters require different control methods. This differs from athletic training, which emphasizes physical adjustment and functional development—a process that cannot be measured by metrics, constantly pushing the limits of the individual and the human body, with no clear endpoint. In games, even with such breakthroughs, one cannot overcome the system's limitations; operation and teamwork must be performed within the established framework.

From my personal observation, esports is a fantastic form of entertainment, greatly enriching people's leisure time. However, professionalizing it and incorporating it into various sporting events is highly inappropriate. Furthermore, esports has a very low ceiling; while it's currently very popular, we need to see its true nature. Professionalization is less desirable than amateurization, making it a mainstream form of entertainment. However, amateurization doesn't seem to hold much appeal for capitalists.

The Asian Games Committee and the Olympic Committee are both short of money, and they've been racking their brains. Using capital to inject funds isn't out of the question, since they still have a base of support among the people. It's like the entertainment industry: celebrities and actors are two different things, but in a bubble of hype, people are more willing to invest in celebrities because the returns are higher—they don't have to do anything, just smile.