E-sports should become a part of Ukraine’s economy, as competitions and game development can replenish the state budget.
“E-sports is a powerful global trend. About 600 million people, including millions of Ukrainians, are engaged in this activity. Thus, e-sports should become a part of our country’s economy as competition, infrastructure and game development can significantly replenish country’s budget. Ukraine is very attractive in geographic, practical and pricing terms. This, of course, opens up new opportunities and prospects,” Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleh Nemchinov posted on Telegram after a meeting with head of the Ukrainian Professional Esports Association Oleksandr Kokhanovsky and chief operating office of the Ukrainian Professional E-sports Association Oleh Rybalka.
He noted that the meeting participants had discussed the prospects for the development of e-sports, the situation in the Ukrainian and global e-markets, as well as the social component of the industry.
“Currently, all representatives of Ukrainian e-industry have united and created the Ukrainian Professional E-sports Association. They aim to obtain national status and join international bodies. But this is possible only after e-sports is officially recognized as a non-Olympic sports in Ukraine,” Nemchinov said.
The minister also noted that e-sports could be used to help socialize people with disabilities, increase physical activity of e-athletes and improve knowledge of foreign languages of Ukrainian children and young people.
“This phenomenon should become a synthesis of education, sports, medical rehabilitation, vocational adaptation and healthy lifestyle. E-sports can also dispel a large number of social stereotypes, such as gender ones,” Nemchinov added.
On July 15, Smartland LLC bought the Dnipro Hotel in Kyiv for UAH 1.1 billion at an online auction held by the State Property Fund of Ukraine within the large-scale privatization in Ukraine. It turned out that the winner of the auction was represented by Ukrainian IT professionals, namely Oleksandr Kokhanovsky, the founder of the country’s most successful e-sports organization, Natus Vincere, the former co-owner of ESForce and the founder of DreamTeam startup.
Kokhanovsky later announced that the Dnipro Hotel would be transformed into an e-sports venue.
“We will turn it into the first hotel in the world fully prepared for e-sports events. It will include not only the attributes of a top hotel (restaurants, bars, SPA zones, and fitness centers), but also unique e-sports elements: training zones, an e-sports stage, special rooms for professional players, as well as the world’s best players’ lounge,” Kokhanovsky posted on Facebook. (Ukrinform/Business World Magazine)