Asian Games 2022 featuring PUBG Mobile and other esports titles might be postponed to 2023, as per reports

Asian Games 2022 is set to be held in China, but recent news has appeared that suggests the event could be postponed to next year. This will be sad news for sports and esports lovers alike. After being a successful pilot event in the last edition, this year's iteration was supposed to be a major benchmark for all future events. While the event may not be canceled, a delay by a year will be disappointing nevertheless.

Asian Games 2022 was a massive milestone for esports and everyone associated with it. This year's version is set to be the first to have esports as a full medal category. In doing so, the event will become the first international sporting event to adopt digital into the mainstream. However, all hopes and aspirations could receive a major setback if the recent news is to be believed.

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COVID-19 could delay Asian Games 2022, which was set to include esports in the medal category

The news came from AFP and was posted by Barron's, which suggests a piece of sad news for worldwide fans. The Asian Games is an Olympic-level event with all the countries from Asia taking on each other. So far, the events have been purely based on sports, but Asian Games 2022 was going to see the battles spread over to the virtual platforms.

However, the plans for that could be pushed back to 2023. The Asian Games 2022 is set to be organized in Hangzhou, and the region's proximity to Shanghai is a major cause of worry. One of the world's most densely populated cities, Shanghai is observing one of its worst COVID-19 outbreaks in recent times.

China's largest city, which inhabits over 25 million people, is running strict lockdowns to curb the outbreak. Hangzhou is less than 200 km from Shanghai, which can make the event extremely risky unless there's a dramatic reduction in infection numbers.

It should be noted that a final decision hasn't been made yet. All stakeholders are considering available options to ensure that there's no panic as the event approaches. An earlier delay will be much smoother than a late one, and it will help all esports athletes to prepare better.

Kuwait's Husain Al-Musallam, Director General of the Asian Games' governing body, has stated the possibility of a delay as they contemplate the decision.

"No official decision has been taken by the committee until now, but there is a possibility that it will be postponed."

It won't be very pleasant for all those involved, especially for esports, as fans and athletes have high expectations. It will also be disappointing for Hangzhou as the construction of all the venues has been completed.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation could involuntarily result in the delay of Asian Games 2022. It will mean that fans will have to wait for about a year or more to see nations competing in games like PUBG Mobile and League of Legends.