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Look, I'm a huge gamer. But I think calling them "athletes" is an insult to actual athletes. Totally fine with referring to Pro gaming as E-Sports, but calling them athletes is taking it too far.


How about bowlers then? Or archers? Pool? Its a fuzzy line; but I agree, this one goes over the line.


No-one calls Chess players athletes.


yeah, if they're not risking serious brain damage, they're not a real athlete


So, what qualifies as an athlete?


An athlete (American and British English) or sportsperson, sportsman or sportswoman (British English) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed and/or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs.[1]

Most professional athletes have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise accompanied by a strict dietary regimen.

The word "athlete" is a romanization of the Greek: άθλητὴς, athlētēs, one who participates in a contest; from ἄθλος, áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, a contest or feat. It is the general term for all participants in any physical sport; its application to those who participate in other activities, such as horse riding or driving, is somewhat controversial.


So it's extremely subjective.




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