Virtual Sports Forum 2025: A glimpse into the future of sports, a unique Tokyo2020 legacy

26 Mar 2025 - The Japan High Performance Sports Center (HPSC), managed and operated by the Japan Sport Council (JSC), hosted the Virtual Sports Forum 2025 to provide an insight to an intriguing upcoming potential for sport, on Wednesday, 26 March in Tokyo.

The creation of the "Olympic Esports Games" (OEG) was unanimously approved by the IOC Session in July 2024 and will be held for the first time in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The OEG will include three categories of eSports: Physical Sports Games（Virtual Sports), Simulated Sports Games and Traditional eSports Games.
In light of these trends, the first Virtual Sports Forum was held last year as an all-Japan initiative in March 2024.

This year's forum, co-hosted with World Rowing, JSC's international joint research partner, brought together domestic and international stakeholders in the field, including the IOC, International Federations and eSports organisations, to share the latest information and trends on eSports and virtual sports around the world and to promote understanding of the field in Japan.

More than 110 people from 30 organisations attended the forum, including representatives from domestic sport organisations, national sports federations, major sports event organisers, eSports-related organisations, the private sector, political leaders, and other related parties. IOC member Ser Miang Ng, Chair of the Olympic Esports Games Steering Committee, and Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Japan, H.E. Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, also graced the forum as distinguished international dignitaries.

This forum was commissioned by the Government of Japan (Japan Sports Agency).

• 

• 

Opening remarks were made by MUROFUSHI Koji, Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, where he highlighted the “potential of virtual sports and eSports to build new connections between people, from all ages, athletic abilities or physical limitations”. He also commented that the Japan Sports Agency, together with the Japan High Performance Sport Center, will be looking to support the athletes from a sports medicine and science research perspective towards the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in 2026 and the Olympic Esports Games in 2027.

Jean-Christophe ROLLAND, President of World Rowing, JSC's international joint research partner and co-organiser of this Forum, welcomed the participants. His remarks included that it is “truly a testament to the legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games that our friends and colleagues from Japan, the International Olympic Committee, and International Federations can reunite and share these insights”, and that he hopes that the insights from the forum will not only further high-performance sport, but will empower the “overall quality of life within our communities”.
On behalf of the honourable guests, ENDO Toshiaki, Member of the House of Representatives and First Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and YAGI Yuri, Executive Board Member of the Japanese Olympic Committee and Member of the IOC ESports Commission, also welcomed the participants.

• 

• 

Forum Programme: Part 1

JSC Research on Esports

To open the speaker programme, SAKATA Hiroshi, Deputy Director of the International Engagement and Information Department and the Head of Virtual Sports Research Office at HPSC, presented research findings on the latest trends in virtual sports around the world, collaboration with Japan eSports Union (JeSU) as well as on the recent developments in the international joint research with World Rowing.

• 

IOC Keynote Speech: "Exploring opportunities coming from the Olympic Esports Games"
Kit McCONNELL, IOC Sports Director, made an online appearance from the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, to present his remarks. He commended on the sharing of knowledge and the all-Japan approach, inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Games, as a unique legacy model. He also highlighted the IOC’s interest in understanding how the promotion of eSports and virtual sports will show how high-performance knowledge can benefit life performance and society. “Combining youth engagement with life performance could revolutionise sports. This initiative will bring a fresh horizon to sports and become a game-changer for the next generation of athletes and fans”.
Following this, Leandro LARROSA, IOC Director of Digital Engagement and Marketing, alongside Zeynep GENCAGA DECHELOTTE, IOC Associate Director of Esports, delivered a keynote speech on the road to the upcoming Olympic Esports Games and the IOC’s latest updates in this field. Leandro LARROSA emphasised the importance of the Olympic Esports Games as a platform for engaging with new audiences, stating, “the journey is just as important as the Games. The IOC is the only sports organisation that can bridge the gap between sports and eSports.” He also praised the Japanese movement in eSports, saying, “It’s fantastic for us to see what Japan is doing, from the JSC, JOC, and JeSU, and to see that they are extremely well developed in advance of the Olympic Esports Games. This situation should be replicated by many national Olympic committees around the world to be ready for the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games,” and expressed his high expectations for Japan in the near future.

• 

• 

Japan eSports Union: Initiatives of the Japan eSports Union

From the eSports field in Japan, HAYAKAWA Hideki, President of the JeSU, gave a presentation on the tournaments and athletes that JeSU oversees, as well as various examples of eSports initiatives aimed at fostering an inclusive community. These initiatives target everyone from children to the elderly, including individuals with physical limitations, in Japan.

• 

Forum Programme: Part 2

The second part of the forum introduced examples of eSports and virtual sports based on the three categories of the Olympic Esports Games (Physical Sports Games, Simulated Sports Games, and Traditional eSports Games).

Physical Sports Games (Virtual Sports)
World Rowing: The Connected Future of Rowing
Physical Sports Games is a category of eSports that requires physical activity based on traditional sports. Virtual (connected) rowing is one of the leading examples in this category, using rowing machines connected in a virtual space. At the forum, Filip LJUBICIC, World Rowing Chair of the Indoor Rowing Committee, presented the history and future potential of virtual rowing. Following the presentation, Jessica EDDIE, silver medalist in rowing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, provided a captivating demonstration of virtual rowing on stage and shared her experiences of indoor and virtual rowing. This highlighted the new possibilities and potential for sports entering the virtual field.

• 

• 

Simulated Sports Games
World Baseball Softball Confederation: “WBSC’s eSports Journey: Innovation and Growth”

Simulated Sports Games is a category of eSports where sport is played on consoles or computers on a virtual platform. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) holds an annual World Championship tournament for the baseball game ‘eBASEBALL™: Powerful Pro Baseball’, in collaboration with game publisher Konami Digital Entertainment Co.
Valerio CIANFONI, Head of Innovation at the WBSC, spoke about the WBSC's dynamic eSports strategy, the tournament scene, and its strong joint relationship with game publishers.

• 

Traditional eSports Games
CAPCOM Co. Ltd.: CAPCOM “Street Fighter 6” and its global eSports tournament scene

Traditional eSports Games are not related to real sports, and their content is unique to the eSports competitive scene.
Tetsuya TABUCHI, Global eSports Business Department, E-Character License Business Division, Deputy Head & General Manager, spoke about the long history of international tournaments and the future of ‘Street Fighter 6’, a successful eSports scene that originated from Japan.

• 

Outside of the forum programme, the foyer provided a valuable opportunity to experience eSports and virtual sports for the attendees, where exhibition stands for virtual rowing and eBASEBALL™ Powerful Pro Baseball were set up to try out. JSC research poster exhibition was also displayed to deepen knowledge on the latest information.

• 

• 

The Virtual Sports Forum 2025 was met with high satisfaction from its attendees, who praised the expert speakers and their engaging, informative presentations on the future of virtual sports. It also provided a unique networking opportunity to bridge and connect the sports and eSports communities. Overall, the event successfully fostered meaningful connections and inspired enthusiasm for the future of eSports and virtual sports.

Comment from President and CEO ASHIDATE Satoshi, Japan Sport Council
It was a profound honour to co-host and co-create the Virtual Sports Forum 2025 with World Rowing, as part of our ongoing international joint research.
This year, through the exceptional support of President Rolland of World Rowing, we had the distinct privilege of welcoming esteemed experts from the IOC to present the latest updates and future prospects of the Olympic Esports Games. Furthermore, World Rowing, the World Baseball Softball Confederation, and Capcom Co., Ltd. delivered invaluable case studies based on their respective eSports classifications.
As JSC, we remain unwavering in our commitment to closely monitor international trends in this field. Looking ahead to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the 2027 Olympic Esports Games, we aspire to contribute to athlete support through a research-driven approach. Our ambition is to apply the insights gained from these eSports to traditional sports and society at large. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with relevant stakeholders to realise this vision, transforming high performance into life performance. We are dedicated to advance our international joint research with World Rowing to unparalleled heights and are enthusiastic to further fortify our partnership.

Comment from President Jean-Christophe ROLLAND, World Rowing
It was an honour and a privilege to open the Virtual Sports Forum 2025. Gathering in Tokyo after the Tokyo 2020 Games, underscores the legacy of those Games. The theme, 'Exploring the opportunities arising from the Olympic Esports Games,' highlights the rapid growth of eSports. World Rowing has been part of the Olympic Esports journey since 2021 and supports this ambitious initiative. The evolution of virtual sports presents a significant opportunity for Indoor/Connected Rowing to expand its reach and attract new audiences. By working closely with the Japan Sport Council and leveraging cutting-edge research, we are ensuring that Rowing remains at the forefront of innovation in the digital era.

Virtual Sports Forum 2025

Host
　　Japan Sport Council (JSC)
Co-host
　　Word Rowing
Supported by
　　Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) /
　　Japan Para-Sport Association (JPSA) Japanese Paralympic Committee (JPC) /
　　Japan eSports Union (JeSU) /
　　Nippon Sports Policy Commission (NSPC) /
　　TMI Associates
In Cooperation with
　　Japan Rowing Association (JARA)
Venue
　　Esports Ginza studio (KONAMI Creative Center Ginza)
Date
　　Wednesday, March 26th 2025 14:00-17:00