Thomas Bach said that the meeting will serve to open a dialogue between the IOC and gaming industry.GETTY IMAGES
IOC President Thomas Bach said that a one-day esports summit will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the end of July, according to Graham Ashton of THE ESPORTS OBSERVER. He said that the purpose of the meeting is to "enter into a dialogue with the gaming industry as well as esports athletes, and in due course, approach the stakeholders of the Olympic movement." Bach reiterated his "often repeated stance that the Olympics should not be a place to promote games that are violent, or are about killing." However, he added, "Esports is clearly an exciting and growing sector in which millions of young people worldwide regularly engage in. The Olympic movement cannot ignore such a phenomenon by any means." Six esports titles will be featured as demonstration sports in this year's Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia (THE ESPORTS OBSERVER, 5/15).
TICKET CAP: KYODO reported the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee proposed setting a 288,000 yen ($2,600) cap on entry prices for the Games' opening ceremony. The organizers proposed the ceiling for the ceremonies and competitions at a 14-member meeting, but did not announce any "tangible results" after several suggested that the price range of the tickets "should be wider to accommodate the needs of customers." While organizers are hoping to offer affordable tickets for elementary school students in the 1,000-2,020 yen ($9-$18) price range, "significantly higher-priced tickets targeted at wealthy communities will also be made available" (KYODO, 5/15).
