Yeb Weighs In on Government Criticism of Esports in Indonesia

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information’s statement rejecting esports as an official sport has continued to draw mixed reactions from long-time industry professionals, including high-profile foreign esports figures such as Paul “Yeb” Denver.

Last month, Minister Meutya Hafid argued that esports shouldn’t be considered a sport since it lacks physical activity beyond sitting and playing online games. The comment was quickly criticized, with many felt the minister misunderstood the modern industry and disregarded the achievements of Indonesian esports athletes on the international stage.

Some players and coaches then responded sarcastically on social media. This also prompted a response from Yeb, a top coach who has spent years in Indonesia coaching team Onic ID. Instead of sarcasm, he simply emphasized that esports is a sport because it involves competition.

“It’s obvious: esports, electronic sports. It’s called a sport because there’s competition – so yes, it is a sport.”

Yeb’s teammates from Onic also echoed his views during an interview session in MPL ID Season 15 event.