European Esports Championships in Katowice under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland
Poland is the capital of European esports. From 28 June to 2 July, the International Congress Centre in Katowice will host the first and historic edition of the European Games Esports Championships. This prestigious event is organised by the Global Esports Federation, the Polish Esports Federation and the Polish Olympic Foundation. The event is held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland Mr. Andrzej Duda.
Players from all over Europe – including Poland as the National Esports Team – will compete in two games: eFootball™ 2023 – a revolutionary football simulation game, and Rocket League – a team game that involves controlling rocket-powered cars and scoring goals against an opponent. Both titles were chosen on the basis of their immense popularity and their compliance with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) esports policy as non-violent and sports-focused games.
The competition – as in classic sport – will follow the same rules: in the spirit of fair play and respect for the opponent. The games are open to the public from June 30 to July 2, which can participate in the event free of charge. Entrance to the event from Olimpijska Street.
– Electronic sport is the future. It is making its way more and more quickly and boldly into the programmes of sporting events, and its role is growing in the awareness of those and institutions responsible for organising sports competitions around the world. Poland has its own National Esports Team. This project was initiated by the President of Poland, which is an expression of openness to innovation and modernity in sport and the expectations of the young,” says Łukasz Trybuś, President of the Polish Esport Federation.
The Global Esports Federation already has more than 100 Member Federations. Esports is increasingly being treated on a par with other disciplines. Its positive impact on the development of mental and physical abilities, strategic thinking and the improvement of reflexes has been proven. Professional esports players are characterised by their agility, reflexes, quick reactions and decision-making under stressful conditions. Achieving good results involves many hours of training and trying again and again to achieve the best possible results.
The Esports European Championships fit with the programme of the 3rd European Games Krakow-Malopolska 2023. The Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC) emphasises that this increases the attractiveness of the event for young fans across Europe.
– The esports championships are a fantastic addition to the programme of the 3rd European Games. Among other things, they highlight the diversity of the sporting world. They open up the Games to new audiences and enable us to spread Olympism across our continent. Harnessing the global popularity of esports is also a great way to increase the appeal and relevance of the European Games. We are delighted to be working with the Global Esports Federation (GEF) on this first of many planned initiatives,” says Andrzej Kraśnicki, member of the Executive Committee of the Association of European Olympic Committees, Honorary President of the Polish Olympic Committee.
The esports athletes will compete alongside 7,000 athletes representing 48 countries at the third edition of the European Games.
In addition to the esports competition, the 3rd European Games will feature the GEFestival – a celebration of the inclusive culture of esports, games, music and entertainment – and GEFcon, a global convention of thought leaders and idea creators in business, esports, sport and technology.
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About the European Games
The third edition of the European Games will take place from 21 June to 2 July 2023. The Games will feature competitions in 26 sports, including 18 Olympic and eight non-Olympic sports. More than 7,000 athletes will take part.
