The Philippine Electronic Sports Organization (PESO) formally announced on Sunday that the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has accredited the association as the official “National Sports Association” for esports in the Philippines. In a certificate dated Oct. 9, and signed by POC Secretary General Atty. Edwin B. Gastanes, the federation was named an “associate member” and the NSA of esports in the country.
In the announcement, PESO President Brian Benjamin Lim thanked the POC for its seal of approval, and acknowledged that other associations in the country representing esports may not agree with this determination.
“We are honored and grateful for the trust that the POC placed in us,” Lim said. “We embrace this huge responsibility as we continue to support our athletes and push the growth and development of Esports in the country. We also echo POC’s call for unity among esports groups and communities as we all share the same goal to showcase the skills and abilities of Filipino gamers in the world arena and ultimately bring glory to our country.”
The group is also member of the International Esports Federation (IESF) an international esports federation that claims members around the world, though it is not recognized as a de facto governing body as there are rival federations like the Global Esports Federation (GEF) that seek to claim that title.
Last month, Ramon Suzara questioned the legitimacy of PESO’s accreditation by the POC and asked the governing body to reconsider. Suzara served as the chief of the organizing committee for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and is the head of the National Electronic Sports Federation of the Philippines (NESFP). At the time he asked the POC to wait until the International Olympic Committee recognized an international federation for esports. The IOC does not recognize the IESF, GEF, or any other international federation of esports as of this writing.
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