I agree with Inverse. People these days care too much about nametags on things.
Are videogames art?
Are videogames a sport?
Who cares? The first and foremost goal of games is to have fun. Competitive games add a competitive layer to it, that's all.
The problem with fighting hard to call it a sport, is that they are going to try and emulate EVERYTHING about the sports industry: wearing blazers as a commentator, showing the swagger and trashtalking of boxing matches, etc. I wonder if they'd try to implement salary caps and drafts eventually...
I don't believe sports should require an athletic element per se, but they traditionally do. The reasoning for this is that sports require less and less natural atheltic ability form participants to perform the same feats, as technology permits us. Examples are: Better footwear in track competitions, lighter soccer balls, better golf clubs, overall better cars in Formula 1 as well as the controversial performance enhancing drugs.
+1
"Any international institution, recognized by seperate existing institutions of the aspiring sport in question, does."
Basically when several people or organizations agree together?
I know that you already state your thoughts about IOC (International Olympics Comitee), but what other people think about Chess-Bridge considered sports?
What´s the difference between Chess and Go, Bridge and Poker, or any other cardgame or board game with videogames?
What about shooting sports?