LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Mar 1, 2023) - The IOC today announced that Virtual Taekwondo will be one of nine featured games at the Olympic Esports Series 2023.

 

The Olympic Esports Series 2023, is a global virtual and simulated sports competition, which will begin on 1 March when professional and amateur players from around the world are invited to take part in qualification rounds. The Series will culminate with the Olympic Esports Finals 2023 at Singapore’s Suntec Centre 22 – 25 June.

 

Virtual Taekwondo will be the only combat sport represented at the competition and has been developed in partnership between World Taekwondo and Refract Technologies. The virtual sport uses unique motion tracking technology, creating an even playing field for those of all physical abilities to engage in one-on-one, non-contact sparring.

 

The Virtual Taekwondo competition will see eight Olympic Taekwondo legends (four male and four female) and eight young athletes (four male and four female) compete in an invitational event at the finals in Singapore. The exciting competitive action will be streamed live on Olympic digital and social channels as the athletes compete to become Olympic Esports champion.

 

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue said:

“We are delighted that Virtual Taekwondo will feature at the Olympic Virtual Series. The IOC’s decision is a testament to the work that has been done in developing Virtual Taekwondo. At World Taekwondo we have always embraced the latest technologies to evolve our sport. Virtual Taekwondo is fully aligned with our commitment to inclusivity and equality and allows people of all ages, genders and abilities to take part while keeping physically active.”

 

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will build on the success of the 2021 series which attracted over 250,000 participants from across 100 countries. The development of virtual sports is a key element of Olympic Agenda 2020+5.

 

Click here to watch the Virtual Taekwondo demonstration video