South Korea's League of Legends esports team members including "faker" Lee Sang-hyeok, fourth from left, pose after winning the gold against Taiwan at China Hangzhou Exports Centre in Hangzhou, China, during the 19th Asian Games on Sept. 29. (Photo by Yonhap)

Four new sports debuted at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou, China, earlier this month, illustrating the dynamic evolution of sport alongside older athletic traditions in Asia.

Originally scheduled for 2022, the games were postponed due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, put on one of the biggest and most successful Asian Games since the quadrennial event kicked off in 1951 in New Delhi, India. While established sports such as track and field and swimming, as well as Korean favorites taekwondo and archery entertained audiences all around the globe, much of the spotlight was on four sports making their Asiad debut – esports, climbing, skateboarding and breaking – demonstrating the ever-expanding field of sporting culture in Asia.

Thanks to the economic and technological rise of South Korea in recent decades, the subsequent emergence of PC bangs and the world’s fastest internet, Korea has become world-renowned as an esports trailblazer and a heavyweight in international competitions.

In 2018, esports made an appearance as a demonstration sport at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia. At this year’s Asian Games, esports became an official medal sport, divided into seven events, five based on PC games and two on mobile-based games. Despite South Korean star Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok missing out on the final due to health concerns, the Koreans overcame Chinese Taipei 2-0 to win gold in the first-ever League of Legends Asian Games medal competition on September 29.

Korea’s Kim Gwan-woo was crowned winner in the Street Fighter 5 competition. Thailand’s Teedech Songsaisakul won gold in the EA FC 24 competition formerly known as FIFA 24, while China took four golds in the competition’s remaining events.

While esports represents progressive notions of athleticism and sport, it continues to struggle with a gender divide. This year’s Asian Games competition was mixed-gender. However, the overwhelming majority of competitors in the inaugural events were male, revealing a challenge the emerging sport will need to address at organizational and cultural levels.

Sport climbing, a type of rock climbing, also debuted at the games. Climbers competed at the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre for a total of six gold medals in men’s and women’s events in speed, speed relay and bouldering.

Due to heavy rain, the final match of the women’s competition between South Korea’s Seo Chae-hyun and Japan’s Ai Mori was canceled. As per the rules, a winner was then to be determined by semifinal results. Remarkably, however, the two climbers had scored the exact same figure on their semifinal climbs. Consequently, Japan’s Mori won gold based on her earlier qualification scores.

Skateboarding, that classic of modern street culture, also made its first appearance. Younger competitors emerged as its true stars with 15-year-olds winning both the men’s and women’s gold medals and the Philippines’ Mazel Paris Alegado competing at just nine years old. Japan’s Hinano Kusaki took the gold medal in the Women’s Park Final with Korea’s Cho Hyun-ju in fourth place. China’s Chen Ye won gold in the men’s event with Korea’s Han Jae-jin placing fourth.

South Korean B-boy Kim Hong-yul, also known as Hong 10, competes in the men's breaking finals at Gongshu Canal Sports Park Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China, during the 19th Asian Games on Oct.7. He won silver medal. ( Photo by Yonhap)

Another urban subculture of recent decades took the stage. Breaking, which will make its Olympic debut in the Paris 2024 Games, was seen for the first time at the Asian Games. The dance style emerged during the early 1970s hip-hop era, and hip hop’s entry into major international sports competitions coincides with worldwide celebrations of its 50th anniversary this year.

Breaking is an art form and subculture as well as a sport, and as such has its own suite of technical terms. Dancers call themselves “B-boys” and “B-girls.” “Top rock” refers to introductory movements performed standing at the beginning of a competition and “down rock” refers to sequences a dancer takes to the floor. “Power moves” refer to distinctly athletic sections.

In addition to the new competitions, the Asian Games continued with a unique lineup of Asian sports, including some unfamiliar to much of the world and never seen at the Olympics. In 1990, Sepaktakraw, a remarkable, fluid style of kick volleyball, debuted as a medal event at the 11th Asian Games in Beijing and has continued to be featured since.

Wushu, or kung fu, has also been in the Asian Games lineup since 1990. Xiangqi, sometimes known as Chinese Chess, was another unique, albeit old, sport seen at this year’s games. Kurash, Central Asian wrestling, has been part of the Asian Games since 2018.

These old and new sports weave an image of diverse and ever-changing Asia, with deep traditions emerging into the twenty-first century as tremendous social changes are embraced. This year’s Asian Games illustrated that one thing has stayed the same over the decades and centuries – the competitive spirit of humanity.