Mary Kom Says Gaming & E-Sports In India Has Many Positives, Gives Skilled Players A Boost

Gaming isn't necessarily a universal hobby, but it is one that people of all ages partake in.

And yet, it's gained a bad reputation over the years thanks to isolated incidents as well as outright misinformation. Now, an Indian sporting great is siding with gamers.

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the top authority when it comes to policy advice regarding online gaming today released a report titled 'Online Games: A tool for learning & development'. The report highlights the inputs of education experts, professional gamers, psychologists, mental health professionals, and game developers.

More importantly, the launch of the report was attended by Indian Olympic medalist and Rajya Sabha MP Mary Kom. And she seems to agree with the findings of the report.

"While the conventional thinking is to categorise all forms of digital gaming as harmful, careful research and analysis indicates that there are many positives that accrue from Digital Sports Gaming," she said. "In today's time, with the growing digital infrastructure, eSports can reach out to an innumerable set of people in different cities who do not have a proper sporting infrastructure and provide them with a platform to showcase their skills."

She did however acknowledge the dangers gaming can hold if not engaged in moderation. "It is needless to mention that all gamers need to be cautioned against the overuse of online games at the expense of other physical activities."

The report provides insights on things like the advantages of digital sport games, gaming methodologies used in teaching, as well as benefits like the enhancement of life skills, mental aptitude, stress management, better hand-eye coordination, critical thinking and psychosocial skills obtained through gaming etc.

It's a stance gamers and experts have maintained for decades, but one that always seems to be shunted aside in favour of the more sensationalist "gaming is dangerous" or "gaming is addictive" plot line. So having someone like Mary Kom add her support to the voices for gaming is certainly a positive turn of events.