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Romania is on its way to recognizing esports as a sport, just within a month of Valve announcing that Dota 2 TI10 will be relocated to Bucharest, the country's capital.
The Esports Summit Bucharest 2021 decided yesterday that the sports law in Romania will be modified by the end of this year to accommodate the following:
- Esports teams/organizations will be able to officially register as sport clubs.
- Esports players will be recognized as athletes.
The battle for legitimacy for esports to be treated on par with other traditional sports has been a long one, and this is certainly one of the most pertinent steps in that direction.
How Dota 2 TI10 will be impacted by Romania’s recognition of esports as a sport
The International is one of the most glamorous events not only in Dota 2 but in all of esports. After a debacle with the Swedish government, Valve was forced to relocate the TI10 venue from Stockholm, Sweden. The announcement from Valve came on July 8th, announcing that TI10 will be held in Arena Națională, Romania's largest stadium, situated in the capital of Bucharest.
In the blog post, Valve mentioned,
“We are grateful for the partnership we have formed with Romania and the city of Bucharest, and very much look forward to gathering with the global Dota 2 community, both in-person and virtually, to celebrate the elite players and amazing fandom at The International.”
Now, in hindsight, it certainly seems that Valve’s partnership with the local and national government of Romania played a part in today’s decisions taken bye the Esports Summit Bucharest 2021.
First and foremost, the legal acceptance of esports as a sport in Romania will make the visa approval process a whole lot easier for the Dota 2 teams coming to play in TI10. With the pandemic in mind, it would otherwise potentially jeopardize the entry of Dota 2 players into Romania. This is especially relevant for players from South East Asia and South America, as far as the EU jurisdiction about the COVID-19 vaccines is concerned.
It will also be easier for casters, analysts, hosts and other production crew to obtain visas, now that TI10 will be legally recognized in Romania as a traditional sports event.
Moreover, Dota 2 fans who are planning to go to the venue from other countries and be a part of the epic TI10, will have to plausibly go through fewer hassles in their journey.
