Esports in Pakistan: Overcoming obstacles, embracing opportunities

Esports has emerged as one of the richest sports in the world in the recent past and its rising popularity has also impressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the world sports governing body.

Although, Esports is not part of the Olympics due to various reasons but, in order to get the benefit of its magnetic power among the youth across the world, the IOC has entered into a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia which will host the Esports Olympic Games from next year’s onwards on a regular basis.

Esports governance in Pakistan

Founded in 2010, Pakistan Esports Federation (PEF) is handling the affairs of Esports in the country which has produced athletes of global repute like Tekken stars Arslan Ash and Atif Butt. The federation is affiliated with the International Esports Federation (IESF) and Asian Esports Federation (AESF).

“We have bodies in all the provinces and we are going to Gilgit Baltistan and other regions as well,” one of the founding members of PEF, Zulfiqar Butt, told Nukta.

The federation holds events on the instructions of the IESF. The observers of international body monitor the events accordingly so that merit could be ensured.

According to Zulfiqar Butt, when an athlete qualifies for an international event he is properly supported by the international body in terms of air-fare, accommodation and food during competition.

Zulfiqar added that Pakistan is brimming with an immense talent.

“There is a flood of talent in Pakistan. At every home you will find E-Gamers. This game needs proper support. We are trying to convince the authorities that this sport is the future of Pakistan but no one bothers to listen to us,” Zulfiqar said.

No POA, PSB affiliation

But the biggest problem Esports federation is facing is that it is not affiliated with both the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

Its non-affiliation with the POA is inflicting a huge damage on the sport as Pakistan’s esports athletes missed the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games last year because of this issue.

Zulfiqar claims that had Pakistan featured in the Hangzhou Asian Games in esports it could have easily won two medals in this sport.

Zulfiqar also said that federation has already filed an affiliation request with both the POA and the PSB but to no avail.

POA and PSB’s stance

POA did not offer affiliation to the Pakistan Esports Federation because it did not fulfill the constitutional requirements.

As per the POA Constitution, a federation will need to have three provinces, duly affiliated with the respective provincial Olympic associations and three departments if it wants to get affiliation.

“In order to form a constitution and hold elections of the Pakistan Esports Federation we had constituted a Management Committee in which we had also kept the secretaries of all the provincial Olympic associations. Pakistan government then told us that it was going to broker a deal with the government of Saudi Arabia and so it is constituting a task force for the development of esports. The state constituted it and we then dissolved our Management Committee in our general council meeting. We said that whatever will happen the POA Secretariat will directly handle the matter. We let the state-formed task force to work,” a POA official told Nukta.

Meanwhile, according to a source in the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), it does not recognize any Esports federation. The source said that a task force has been constituted by the government but it is doing nothing.

Departments and academies

If Esports is to be put on the right track in Pakistan, departments will need to form their own teams so that it could strengthen the federation. It would also help it to get the affiliation of the POA which will in turn enable Pakistan to field also its athletes in the Asian Games.

This correspondent also understands, when Lt General (retd) Arif Hasan was the POA chief, Lahore Qalandars had also shown their interest in handling Pakistan Esports Federation and investing in the sector.

To harness the vast gaming potential in Pakistan, a robust operational framework is crucial. The federation must establish a network of academies nationwide, providing aspiring gamers with structured training and guidance to excel at the national level. With the esports industry offering immense opportunities and lucrative rewards – with top players already earning millions – a well-organized approach will unlock the country's true talent and propel Pakistan's gaming sector forward.