Following a heroes’ welcome upon their return to Taiwan, League of Legends world champions Taipei Assassins called on Taiwanese lawmakers to push Taiwan’s Sports Affairs Council to recognize gaming as a national sport, according to Focus Taiwan. Recognition from the SAC would make progaming eligible for government assistance, and could provide other support services to eSports professionals, such as career counseling and assistance in balancing eSports and education.
The Taipei Assassins and Taiwanese eSports promoter Chen Yueh-hsin pushed members of all three major Taiwanese political parties to take action in making sure the SAC extend recognition to eSports. While TPA have brought the League of Legends title home to Taiwan, the fact remains that other Asian nations are taking a far more proactive stance with regard to developing eSports.
At the moment, the SAC provides limited support to eSports professional on a temporary basis, due to the fact that eSports have not been formally recognized as a sport. However, following TPA’s appeal to Taiwan’s political parties, Taiwanese legislators are now committed to helping eSports receive that recognition.
This was exactly what many in the eSports community hoped would happen once the Asian competitive community was integrated into the North American and European tournament scene. With so much public pride and support for the Taipei Assassins’ accomplishment, the door is open not just to grow the audience for eSports in countries like Taiwan, but to encourage government institutions to give eSports the same kind of support that competitors in more traditional athletic disciplines receive. Recognition as a sport will be a vital step in ensuring the ongoing health and growth of Taiwanese pro gaming community.