Scoff all you want, we’re stuck with E-sports

Sports fans scoff at the very thought of the presence of the word “sports” in what has become known as E-sports.

The immediate picture that springs to mind is hordes of bespectacled computer geeks sitting in front of a bunch of giant monitors while their characters wield guns they are probably to weak to even pick up in real life.

How can that even be mentioned in the same breath as sport when real life sports people are sculpted, gifted, fleet-footed creatures who
mesmerise us with their sublime talents?

But now here’s the problem.

When those athletes who entertain watchers of all things sport almost every day of the year through live events are in lockdown, what is going to keep sports lovers from losing their minds?

As much I love Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe’s tries in the Rugby World Cup final, it’s just not the same anymore after seeing it 73 times in the first three days of lockdown.

But there could be a solution and in the form of E-sports whether we like it or not.

Only this time not with those geeks and their shooting games involved, but the real McCoy strutting their stuff in virtual match-ups instead being televised or streamed live around the world.

Just months ago that idea would have seemed far-fetched, but with what has been going on in the world of late, things have changed at the speed of light.

Already over the past weekend, MotoGP riders took part in a virtual race, each sitting in front of his gaming console on his sofa at home with the race being streamed live.

At the same time, virtual boxing in the United States saw Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston with 35 000 watching on YouTube and will now face Mike Tyson, who beat George Foreman.

Even a virtual Grand National race will be staged in England on Saturday.

While Alex Marquez’s MotoGP win doesn’t count toward the championship and Ali’s victory won’t be added to his actual record, the interest is definitely there already.

The longer it takes for real sport to resume, the greater the demand will be for any action, whether virtual or not and it may just be here to stay.

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