The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, has stated that the IOC’s plans for esports were “very much alive.”
Esports “alive” at the Olympic Games despite Esports Commission suspension
The statement came at a recent press conference, which discussed IOC plans going into June’s pivotal ‘Extraordinary 146th IOC Session’ on June 24 and 25.
The session will discuss the IOC’s “Fit for the Future” or F4F process, which will define the IOC’s strategy over the next seven years, but esports will not be on the agenda for the meeting as Coventry clarified that the IOC Executive Board will not be presented with an esports-related presentation until “after June.”
The statement comes after the suspension of the International Olympic Committee’s Esports Commission earlier in May, following Coventry’s ascension to the IOC Presidency in June 2025.
The Esports Commission suspension followed the October 2025 collapse of the 12-year IOC and Saudi deal, which would have seen Saudi Arabia host the Esports Olympic Games from 2027 onwards.
Those blows left esports in an uncertain place in the IOC’s plans prior to the statements from Coventry.
International Olympic Committee President clarifies esports’ status in Olympics plans
The IOC President stated, “Esports is sitting under my executive office. I have been working with an expert in the field, so it is very much alive.”
However, Coventry then clarified that it was not on the immediate agenda, stating, “It is really about timing, and that timing, where we will be able to be ready to present anything to the Executive Board, will be after June.
“So we are still looking at esports, but for now, we are focusing in on our core business and trying to make strong future strategies for the core business first, while still working very clearly on what potential there could be for esports and what it would look like, and we’ll come back to the Executive Board after June.”
The statement in itself belies the reality that esports isn’t exactly the chief priority of the IOC. The conference announced nine working groups for “top priority areas.” They are:
- The Olympic Programme
- Protection of the female category
- Commercial Partnerships and Marketing
- Protection of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism
- Olympic Games Delivery
- Autonomy, Ethics, and Good Governance
- Youth Olympic Games (YOG)
- Better World Through Sport
- The Olympic Q-Series
Therefore, esports is understood to not be a priority for the International Olympic Committee’s immediate future, but remains a part of future plans, something which was in doubt following the suspension of the Esports Commission.
Do you think esports will ever take their place in the Olympics? Let us know on our Discord!
For more news, see our LEC EWC Qualifier Recap.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
More from Darragh Harbinson
