Oh Kyung-sik, director of the Hangzhou Asian Games, must prepare for injustice

Oh Kyung-sik (Seoul SK Knights), general manager, asked the Korea e-Sports Association to respond quickly, saying, “In the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, we should not simply worry about resident birds, but prepare for unfairness.”

At the e-sports forum hosted by the Korean Society of Physical Education on the 26th, Director Oh Kyung-shik presented the necessary information for the national team. Director Oh has been involved in the esports industry since the 1990s. In the past, he served as SK Telecom T1 Executive Director and Korea e-Sports Association Executive Director.

“During the Asian Games, we must hurry to secure accommodations, practice areas, and resting areas near the stadiums,” said Director Oh. he emphasized. He said that he experienced various unfair treatment when he led the fencing and swimming teams to China.

He then emphasized several times, “We must play the game in an unfair environment, not just at the level of a resident bird,” and “In particular, it is judged that securing a separate practice field should be considered as the top priority, and it is necessary to review and secure a plan at least 4 to 5 months in advance.” he added.

Director Oh questioned whether the current player selection method was focused on fairness and objectivity, so it would be possible to produce the best performance. He was concerned that a 3-4 week camp training for a ‘big event’ such as the Asian Games would not be able to maintain the best teamwork. In addition, he cited a strong fandom as a characteristic of e-sports and worried about malicious comments and criticism that occurred after the selection of the national team by driving public opinion. This is because the agitation within the team can lower the performance.

As a countermeasure, full authority over the final player selection was given to the coach, and the association suggested that activities to defend against negative public opinion were necessary. In addition, he emphasized that sufficient time should be prepared in advance to match the sum of players.

Currently, there are no facilities for the national e-sports team in the Jincheon National Training Center. It should be carried out in the form of out-of-town training. However, there are no basic regulations such as securing a training ground, team allowance, and lodging for out-of-town training. Director Oh said, “Due to the schedule of the Asian Games, we have to start full-scale camp training from August this year, so we need to come up with a quick support plan through consultation with the Korea Sports Council.”

To motivate them, Director Oh said, “It is necessary to make sure that players receive military exemption benefits when they win the gold medal, and to boost their morale by sharing a separate incentive system including other financial rewards with the athletes before the Asian Games.”