New Asian meet adds to Sibol’s busy 2027 calendar

MANILA, Philippines - An already packed 2027 is shaping up to be even busier for the country’s national esports team Sibol, with a new continental meet joining its list of potential international assignments.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) signed a Host City Contract with Kuwait on September 19 to stage the inaugural Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games in 2027, with the agreement formalized on the sidelines of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Around 4,000 athletes are expected to take part in the new meet, although the OCA has yet to announce the competition program and specific dates.

For the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO) and Sibol, the Kuwait meet potentially adds another major competition to a 2027 calendar that also includes the Esports Nations Cup, Southeast Asian Games and IESF competitions.

Sibol General Manager Jab Escutin said PeSO has already been advised about the Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games but is still awaiting more specific information about the event.

“We’re constantly preparing for our 2027 events. As always, the biggest considerations are how to send the best esports athletes and how we can provide an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in the qualifiers,” Escutin told Philstar.com.

While the program for Kuwait remains under wraps, mind sports competitions in Asia have featured chess, bridge, Weiqi or Go, Xiangqi and speedcubing, with all five disciplines contested at the inaugural Asian Mind Sports Conference & Festival in Singapore last year.

The Philippines has also begun building its presence in the space, with the Philippine Olympic Committee partnering with the Asian Mind Sports Association earlier this year to further develop mind sports in the country with the inaugural Philippine National Speed Cubing Open in Tagaytay last May.

The creation of the new meet, however, will not come at the expense of esports’ place in the Asian Games.

The OCA clarified on September 28 that esports will continue as a medal sport in the Asian Games, following online reports linking the creation of the separate competition to its possible removal from the continental meet.

OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam said the Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games was created to provide athletes with another platform to compete and “will not diminish the status of esports within the Asian Games system.”

Esports debuted as a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang before becoming a medal sport at Hangzhou 2022. 

The Aichi-Nagoya Games then expanded the program to 11 medal events. Sibol competed in six events there and took home two bronze medals (Honor of Kings and Pokemon Unite).