Seven Major International Sports Federations Gather - The New Blueprint for Virtual & Simulated Sports is Mapped Out

On February 16, Tencent E-sports kicked off "Empower Esports Worldwide Series - China Stop" in Shenzhen. In recent years, with esports making its way into the Asian Games and the Olympics, the development and exploration of virtual/simulated sports has become a key topic of global interest. To this end, a parallel conference titled "Workshop: Virtual & Simulated Sports" was specially organized as part of the Series, bringing together seven leading international sports federations and representatives from software and hardware developers. This marked the largest multi-party exchange between international sports organizations in recent years, focused on discussing the development trends of international esports and virtual sports, sharing frontier virtual/simulated sports technologies and forecasting future industry trends and growth.

Virtual and Simulated Sports from the Perspective of International Sports Federations

With a shared understanding of the trends in digital sports, seven major international sports federations, including Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, Badminton World Federation, and Union Cycliste Internationale, gathered at this forum. During the "Virtual & Simulated Sports from the Perspective of International Sports Federations" panel discussion, several guests concentrated on virtual and simulated sports in the Olympic Esports Games, exploring the latest advancements in sports digitization and collectively envisioning a digital future.

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During the discussion, Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General, shared the rationale behind the federation's earlier launch of the Laser Run simulation sports game: "Our development of the Laser Run simulation game was driven by a focus on accessibility and scalability. The low-cost, low-barrier-to-entry nature of digital sports games makes them accessible to more people." She further stated that the advancement of sports requires the adoption of new technologies. She hopes to enhance the training outcomes of professional athletes through the development of digital sports technologies, and to increase the global impact of modern pentathlon. In the future, modern pentathlon will actively introduce innovative digital transformation technologies to boost public participation, while ensuring the inclusivity, competitiveness, and balance of the events.

As one of the pioneering international sports federations to invest in virtual sports, Myungwon Lee, WT Marketing & Broadcasting Assistant Manager, shared progress in the use of sensors, live streaming platforms, and other advancements in Taekwondo. He remarked, "Taekwondo welcomes participants of all ages, and virtual Taekwondo provides opportunities to compete across different platforms. The development of virtual Taekwondo is not intended to replace tradition, but rather to become an integral part of the competition, making the event accessible to a wider group of participants." He also mentioned that World Taekwondo has begun featuring celebrities in virtual Taekwondo, with many dojos now offering online services. He expressed his hope that the future development of virtual Taekwondo will preserve the essence of the sport, with both real and virtual forms complementing and supplementing each other, further enhancing the accessibility of the sport.

Rodrigo Pacheco Carrillo, BWF Marketing Manager, noted, "The impact of esports in Asia has made us aware that esports and gaming are key forms of streaming consumption. This inspired us to combine esports with traditional badminton competitions, with the goal of allowing more people to experience the joy of badminton. Since badminton requires a large venue and there is currently a shortage of related game IP and commercial profit models, the development of virtual badminton remains in its early stages." He stated that, in anticipation of emerging technologies, the Badminton World Federation will take practical conditions into account and initially prioritize building its online image, and then progressively enhance the virtual and simulated sports ecosystems.

Azat Myradov, IWF Representative, believes that weightlifting is a sport with high physical and technical demands, as well as a high barrier to entry. The development of virtual and simulated sports can help weightlifting attract a broader group of participants. The integration of VR, AR, and AI can effectively enhance training performance, reduce injury rates, and provide athletes and fans with a richer interactive experience. He also pointed out that from the perspective of weightlifting, the development of virtual and simulated sports faces unique challenges and needs to be integrated with scientific fields such as physical simulation, haptic technology, motion tracking, artificial intelligence, and biomechanics. The integration of weightlifting and virtual sports can provide a holistic strategy for the all-round development of sports to benefit athletes, fans, and all stakeholders.

Initiating Technical Exchanges - Software and Hardware Developers Share Their Achievements in Digital Sports

Innovations in related software and hardware technologies are generating stronger momentum for the development of virtual and simulated sports, while also bringing new growth opportunities to the sports industry. During the conference, expert representatives from Refract, Muniu Tech, Magene, Sweat Tech, FITGMR, and TENCENT-IEG gathered to share their new explorations in frontier virtual technology. Drawing from various technical fields, they provided in-depth analyses of how technology can empower related events and facilitate the accelerated growth of virtual and simulated sports, while exploring additional areas of application.

Ng Chong Geng, Director of Refract, explained how XR technology can be used to transform real-world Taekwondo and boxing into virtual sports competitions, reconfigure their competitive ecosystems, reduce the risk of injuries, expand participation, and promote the integration of virtual sports with esports events.

Lianying Ji, CTO of Muniu Tech, outlined how sensor technology, as the core component of virtual and simulated sports, is already being utilized in TGL virtual esports and golf event innovations. He believes that using real, reliable data to drive the integration of traditional sports with smart technology will continuously expand the boundaries of sports in the future, allowing technology to deliver an alluring competition experience to users beyond imagination.

Iona, Business Director of Magene, mentioned that Magene pioneered the launch of China's first smart cycling trainer and app. They also partnered with professional events, such as the Tour de France and the Tour of Qinghai Lake, to integrate virtual sports with traditional competitions, driving the digital transformation of cycling sports.

Zhiling Qiu, CEO of Sweat Tech, shared insights on the technical practices in their virtual rowing project. Since they began exploring online training, they have gradually discovered a new direction for the development of virtual sports. He also mentioned that he hopes to use virtual technology to overcome the pain points of traditional sports, such as weather constraints, steep learning curves, and high risk of injury, making it possible for more people to take part in high-level events while offering professional athletes immersive training and data management tools.

Kristin Anderson, CEO of FITGMR, emphasized that FITGMR firmly believes esports can serve as a catalyst for improving global health trends. With esports now recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic sport, FITGMR sees enormous potential in promoting healthy gaming. There are already esports athletes working on improving their training performance through FITGMR, with many providing feedback that they've achieved better results in competitions thanks to FITGMR's support.

Henri Wen, Interactive Experience Product Specialist at TENCENT-IEG, stated that virtual technology is driving new demand, and Tencent has already accumulated extensive experience in related technologies. For instance, Tencent has collaborated with the Dunhuang Academy to digitally recreate Dunhuang Cave 285 at a 1:1 scale. Virtual technology is not just the future of gaming, it is also changing the way we interact with the world. Tencent hopes to leverage its accumulated expertise in virtual technology to create new experiences for more industries.

With ongoing advancements in digital technology and the rapid growth of the global sports industry, virtual and simulated sports are also becoming a new area of exploration in digital sports as new ecosystems, orders, and opportunities take shape. Technologies derived from esports, game engine capabilities, and various gaming technologies are fueling the development of numerous industries, including autonomous driving, industrial manufacturing, film and television, and cultural preservation. These applications and scenarios, a well as digital solutions in areas such as content development, also have the potential to be deeply integrated into the sports competition landscape in the future, providing support for the development of event organization, audience experience, and athlete management.

Looking ahead, Tencent E-sports will keep promoting technology sharing, exchange and collaboration, joining forces with more global partners to explore the future of digital sports.
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