As the inaugural physical tournament, The Games of the Future, concluded on Sunday in Kazan, central Russia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko remarked to the press that the event has been an enormous source of inspiration around the globe. Nearly two weeks of competition culminated in a closing ceremony that drew the attention of well-known Russian pop artists and vocalists.
Innovatively conceived in Russia, the ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) format that forms the basis of the Games of the Future merges cybersports and traditional sports. Twenty-one combined disciplines were represented in the competition.
Per Chernyshenko, the events were successful in garnering a tremendous international audience. He informed journalists on Saturday that the program had approximately 2.2 billion viewers, although official figures are not yet available. On the final day of the competitions, a number of the most popular and entertaining sports, including racing, skateboarding, and physical football, reached their conclusion.
The Russian media reported that over 270 teams participated in the competition, which featured over 2,000 athletes from 107 different countries. In addition to more conventional cybersports like basketball, hockey, and virtual football, the activities featured high-tech competitions including drone racing, competitive programming, and robot conflicts.
The prize fund for competitive programming was reportedly among the highest of any individual discipline, at 4.5 million rubles ($49,050). The victor received that amount.
During the closing ceremony, Chernyshenko remarked that the games have acquired “international recognition” and that Russia “has once again demonstrated its preeminent status in the global sports community.” Additionally, he lauded every participant in the tournament, referring to them as “pioneers of physical sports” who had “inspired the world.”
As per the statement made by the deputy prime minister, 63 countries have initiated the organization of comparable domestic tournaments. Furthermore, nine nations have indicated their interest in hosting the subsequent international event of this nature.