Electronic sports have gained global attention, including in Southeast Asia. As with traditional sports, national teams can bring glory and boost a country’s soft power. On the flip side, team rivalries can potentially disrupt neighbourly relations.
Electronic sports, better known as esports, made a historic debut at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games after its appearance as a demonstration event at the Games’ 2018 iteration in Jakarta. With every esports session nearly sold out at each of the 5,000-person capacity venues in Hangzhou, the electrifying atmosphere – similar to one…
