World Rowing and the Japanese Sports Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), joining forces to collaborate on an international joint research project on virtual sports and indoor rowing. Virtual sports have developed significantly in recent years and have become a very significant force influencing various components of society. These trends are transforming the world of sports, and the sports community is now paying more attention to cooperation with virtual sports and esports. The International Olympic Committee recently announced that the IOC Esports Commission will explore the possibility of creating Olympic esports Games following the success of Olympic Esports Week earlier this year in Singapore, where indoor rowing was presented alongside the best virtual sports from around the world. . In light of these events, World Rowing and JSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to attract and promote joint international research related to the field of virtual sports. Possible areas of cooperation will include exchange programs and visits by representatives of both organizations; international joint research; presentation of case studies at international conferences, seminars and master classes; publication of articles and scientific papers. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of President and CEO of JSC Satoshi Ashidate, Vice President Takeshi Kukidome, President of World Rowing Jean-Christophe Rolland, Executive Director Vincent Gaillard and Board member Masakuni Hosobuchi. "We are pleased to implement this initiative together with the Japanese Sports Council. Indoor rowing virtually unites rowers from all over the world, contributing to the development of a diverse community of fitness and rowing enthusiasts," said Jean-Christophe Rolland, President of World Rowing. Various events held around the world, the development of digital platforms to bring rowers together, and the gamification element contribute to an ever-growing community of indoor rowers. World Rowing strives to play a prominent role in this context, and a number of strategic initiatives are being developed to this end. The partnership with the Japanese Sports Council is fully integrated into this strategy and will help unlock the enormous potential of indoor rowing." "I am very pleased to announce that JSC for the first time concludes an agreement on cooperation and cooperation with the International Sports Federation," added Satoshi Ashidate, President and CEO of JSC. We are particularly encouraged by our joint international research project with World Rowing, which is highly appreciated for its potential in virtual rowing to integrate the real and virtual worlds. As part of this cooperation agreement, we expect to see significant results in the field of virtual sports through the use of resources possessed by both JSC and World Rowing. We also hope to play a leading role in promoting the popularization of sports and the development of a dynamic and diverse international community through this international collaborative virtual sports research, as well as using and applying the results not only to improve high-performance sports areas. but also to improve the quality of life in society." About world rowing World Rowing is the governing body of rowing. It is authorized by the national rowing federations, consisting of 159 members. World Rowing sets the rules and regulations for practicing this sport in all its forms, including elite, para-rowing, coastal rowing, master rowing and indoor rowing. World Rowing oversees sanctioned events and provides advice and expertise for organizing rowing regattas. The Federation also deals with coaching education and other issues related to sports and its development. About the Japanese Sports Council The Japan Sports Council, founded in 2003, is the national agency responsible for the development of sports in Japan. The Japan High Performance Sports Center (HPSC), as part of the JSC, consists of the Japanese Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS) and National Training Centers (NTC) and closely cooperates with the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japanese Paralympic Committee. HPSC is a center established to promote the development of top—level sports in both Olympic and Paralympic sports at home and abroad by providing research, support and an advanced scientific learning environment based on sports medicine, science and information possessed by JISS and NTC. We have put forward the concept of "from high efficiency to life efficiency", because it is important to widely introduce knowledge gained in the field of high productivity into society. For all media questions, please contact Brian Orsini, Head of Communications and Media at World Rowing – brian.orsini@worldrowing.com