THE RECOGNITION PROCESS OF ESPORTS AS AN OFFICIAL SPORT: A COMPARISON BETWEEN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA

RECOGNITION PROCESS OF ESPORTS AS AN OFFICIAL SPORT

Abstract

In 2017, esports was recognized as an international sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Following this recognition, the International Esports Federation (IESF), as the international governing body for esports, took strategic steps to disseminate the norm of esports recognition to its member states. Indonesia and Malaysia, as IESF member states, have recognized esports as an official sport in their respective countries. However, there is a time gap in the recognition process between the two countries. In Indonesia, esports gained recognition in 2018 and obtained legal certainty in 2022, while in Malaysia, esports was recognized in 2014 and received legal certainty in 2020. Thus, this study aims to analyze the process of recognizing esports as an official sport by comparing the approaches in Indonesia and Malaysia. This research employs the international norms theory and the concept of the international norm life cycle. A qualitative method with a comparative approach is utilized to identify and compare the emergence, dissemination, and internalization of the esports recognition norm in both countries. The data sources include books, journals, documents, and official websites to derive the research findings. The findings of this study indicate that Indonesia and Malaysia followed different pathways despite sharing the same ultimate goal of recognizing esports. In Indonesia, the recognition process was primarily driven by proactive domestic actors, particularly the central role of organizations like IESPA, with government support developing later. Conversely, in Malaysia, the recognition of esports was more influenced by international engagement and government support, which was subsequently internalized through government-supported policies and initiatives.