The Games of the Future opened in the Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday. The first-ever international phygital event combines conventional and electronic sports.
The opening ceremony was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as a number of foreign leaders and top officials. Speaking during the ceremony, the president called the games Russia’s “gift to the international sporting family.”
“The Games of the Future are free from political conjuncture, all types of discrimination and double standards. I am sure that genuine sport will reign at the Games’ venues,” Putin stated.
Russia remains among the world leaders in sports, the president noted, adding that it was “natural” that the very “idea of combining classical and electronic sports” was conceived in the country. The Games of the Future were preceded by a series of lesser-known physical events, the Phygital Games, during which players competed in various disciplines, with the winners qualifying for the ongoing event.
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