Kazan, Russia – The first phygital tournament Games of the Future has taken place in Kazan, Russia, marking a new trend in athletics and esports. This major event gathered over 2,000 players from 116 countries, who showed mastery in 21 hybrid disciplines.
‘Sports’ and ‘esports’ sound almost the same. Both are spectacular, invoke the competitive spirit, and need stamina and focus. A Dota match can be as engaging as a baseball game. Merging them was just a matter of time and effort, and Games of the Future held in Kazan, Russia is the first large-scale attempt to do so.
The idea behind Games of the Future and phygital sports per se is to test competitors’ digital and physical fitness. Therefore, the Games include five dual-modality categories: sports, tactics, strategy, technology, speed, and 21 disciplines. In phygital hockey, for example, players first compete in a digital simulator and go on to confront each other on the ice. The winner is determined by the total number of goals scored during the two stages of the phygital match. Blending of physical and digital competitions (the term ‘phygital’ is a combination of ‘physical’ and ‘digital’) is an internationally implemented project.
However, the idea of holding competitions in this format was born in Russia. At the opening ceremony, Vladimir Putin dubbed the Games “Russia’s gift to the world sports family.”
The competition was a success on all counts, including audience engagement. There were over 3 million website users’ views of the competitions, which is testimony to the growing scale and popularity of phygital platforms. “The Games of the Future tournament has become a globally recognized brand, which is an enormous accomplishment,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko, Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and head of the organizing committee of Games of the Future.
Phygital sport grows in scope and popularity catering for people’s love of innovations and the need to thrive in new hybrid activities. Besides, phygital sport promotes equity by presenting unique opportunities for those who have no access to training facilities or have no opportunity to train every day.
However, phygital sport confronts new challenges. Ethical play in phygital sports will have to be ensured by putting in place safeguards against manipulation, and the implementation of new procedures for fair play, both physical and virtual.
Phygital sport is now making a fresh start. The organizers of Games of the Future believe that there will be a time when sport will transcend traditional boundaries. The challenge for trainers, professionals, organizers, and participants is to ensure the integrity, equity, and ethics of phygital sport so that its potential can be fully realized to the benefit of all.
Social links
https://www.youtube.com/@GamesoftheFutureOfficial
https://www.twitch.tv/gamesofuture
Media Contact
Company Name: Games of the Future
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Country: Russian Federation
Website: https://en.gofuture.games
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