Sport

E-sports is a new form of competition that has gained popularity as video games become more wide spread. The idea of organized sports is nothing new. The Olympic games were held as early as 776 BC, and celebrated once every four years (Toohey & Veal 2007). The Olympic games are still held today, which demonstrates mankind’s love of sport. The modern idea of a sport is very hard to define. Only until recently did the word sport gain its modern meaning. David Sansone (1992) explains that the Ukrainian word for sport is spòrt... There is a Gaelic word spòrs, a Turkish word spor, a Rumanian word spòrt and a Japanese word supótsu. He goes on to explain that the English word for sport is different and these cultures did not have a term to accurately describe what sport was. The English invented this modern concept of sports and through their influence spread it throughout the world.



Sports are usually thought of in terms of physical activities where one person or a team competes against another. But many people forget that sports do not have to be physically demanding to be considered a valid competition. Chess and bridge are both official Olympic sports, and neither are physically demanding but both are mentally tasking. E-sports would fall under the same category of mentally challenging sports. Many different organizations put together tournaments that attract sponsors much like traditional sports. Sites like Major League Gaming, Team Liquid, and Team Warfare League are hubs for e-sports that offer prizes and money. Players can gain international fame in the same way pro soccer players do. Adidas sponsors soccer players, while Nvidea sponsors quake players. Starcraft is the more televised in South Korea than any other traditional sport which helps e-sports gain more recognition.




References
1. Toohey, & Veal. (1997). The Olympic games: a social science perspective (2nd ed.). UK: Trowbridge.
2. Sansone, David. (1992). Greek athletics and the genesis of sport. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.