After three years of investigation, the China E-athletics Management Measures, the first of its kind in the country, has finally been promulgated to regulate the e-athletics market order in China.

According to the new measure, those Internet users younger than 18 will not be allowed to participate in various e-athletics activities, which He Huixian, an honorary commissioner of the All-China Sports Federation, says is mainly because the Chinese public confuses e-athletics with online games. He adds that the age limit may be loosened gradually at a later time so that youngsters can join in the activities.

So far, five online games including Counter-Strike Source, War Craft III: The Frozen Throne, Super Robot Taisen, Need for Speed and FIFA 2006 have been approved as the first batch of items for the e-athletics contests in China.

The new rule also states that no such title as "the world" and 'international" shall be used for any type of e-athletics contest unless it is approved by the government concerned department beforehand.