問題4:eスポーツをオリンピック競技にすべきか

【問題文】
Qualities like mental focus and dexterity are very important in some sports. This has led some people to propose that playing video games should be recognized as an Olympic sport. Write a paragraph in ENGLISH giving your own opinion on this proposal, with appropriate reasons and examples.

■ 解答例1(賛成)

I support recognizing competitive video gaming, or esports, as an Olympic sport. First, top esports players demonstrate the same qualities the Olympics traditionally celebrates: split-second reaction times, sustained mental focus over long matches, and precise hand-eye coordination that takes years of disciplined training to develop, much like archery or table tennis. Second, esports already commands a global audience that rivals traditional sports; events such as the League of Legends World Championship attract tens of millions of viewers, showing that public interest and competitive infrastructure already exist. Finally, including esports would help the Olympics connect with younger generations who increasingly see gaming, rather than traditional athletics, as their primary form of competitive engagement. For these reasons, I believe esports deserves a place in the Olympic program.

■ 解答例2(反対)

I do not think video gaming should be recognized as an Olympic sport. While I acknowledge that focus and dexterity are involved, the Olympics has traditionally centered on physical athleticism—strength, endurance, and whole-body coordination—which esports simply does not require in the same way; a player can compete while sitting almost motionless for hours. In addition, video games are commercial products owned by private companies, and building Olympic events around them raises troubling questions about corporate influence over what is supposed to be a politically and commercially neutral event. Chess, for instance, has never been added to the Olympics despite requiring extraordinary mental focus, precisely because the Games have historically prioritized physical competition. For these reasons, I believe esports, however impressive, belongs in its own separate global competitions rather than the Olympics.

■ 覚えておきたい表現・文法

・split-second reaction time = 一瞬の反応速度(スポーツ・脳科学系エッセイで便利)
・hand-eye coordination = 手と目の協応、手先の器用さ(dexterityの言い換えとして使える)
・commands a global audience = 世界的な視聴者を集めている(commandは「(注目・尊敬などを)集める」の意味)
・rivals traditional sports = 従来のスポーツに匹敵する(rival=~に匹敵する、動詞用法)
・while I acknowledge that ~ = ~ということは認めるが、という譲歩構文(賛否論証の必須テクニック)
・whole-body coordination = 全身運動の協応
・corporate influence over ~ = に対する企業の影響力
・precisely because ~ = まさにという理由で(理由を強調する構文)
・however impressive = どれほど印象的であっても(however+形容詞で譲歩を作る倒置的表現)