SINGAPORE – Singapore National Olympic Council secretary-general Chris Chan has been re-elected as the president of the Global Esports Federation (GEF) on Dec 12 for another four-year term.

The 73-year-old Singaporean, who first assumed the role in 2019, was elected unanimously for a second term at the 4th GEF general assembley ahead of the Global Esports Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He said: “The support and endorsement of our plans and strategies reflect our shared commitment to advancing esports globally... In the new term, we aim to focus on innovation across the ecosystem, building sustainable projects, led by our chief executive and his team.”

During his first term, over 100 athletes competed across 10 virtual sports – including sailing, baseball and tennis – at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre in the inaugural Olympic Esports Week, which attracted 20,000 attendees over four days in the Republic.

GEF is not the only international e-sports body and has co-existed with the likes of the International E-sports Federation, which started in 2008 and is based in South Korea. Both are working towards having electronic sports recognised as a legitimate sport and admitted into the Olympics programme.

Chan said: “While the journey to Olympic affiliation is a decision for the International Olympic Committee, our partnerships, including with United Nations partners such as Unesco, demonstrate shared visions and values toward inspiring youth engagement and global development opportunities for all.”

The third edition of the Global Esports Games kicked off on Dec 12 at the SEF Arena and runs until Dec 16.

The GEF flagship esports event, hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation, features over 950 athletes from over 100 nations and territories for the qualifiers, and 240 athletes from 56 nations and territories for the World Finals this week. They will compete in Dota 2, eFootball 2024, Pubg Mobile and Street Fighter 6.