PGL CEO: We don't want to be associated with the Esports Awards

The Esports Awards recently announced that they would be holding a second award ceremony this year after hosting their initial event during the Esports World Cup in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia as part of a three-year partnership agreement.

Awards for the Esports Team of the Year, PC Player of the Year, and Esports Coach of the Year were just some of the announced categories for the upcoming event which does not yet have a date or location. While the coveted Esports Journalist of the Year category was not announced, details are apparently coming later.

One of the categories announced was Esports Broadcast & Production of the Year of which ESL, PGL, BLAST, and Riot were all announced as nominees. In response to the nomination, PGL CEO Silviu Stroie asked that the Awards remove him from the list of nominees for this award and all other categories.

"We understand that our events are unique and watched by millions of fans worldwide," the CEO explained. "We cannot and don't want to be associated with an event that has lost its credibility and is not serving its purpose anymore."

The statement alludes to the recent collaboration between the Esports Awards and the Esports World Cup, which is being funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Critics claim that Saudi Arabia's recent investment into esports is part of sportswashing, which involves using high-profile sports events to distract from the nations' alleged human rights abuses.