Enhanced Games is currently reigning supreme on the IOC! As absurd as it might sound, the truth is that Toyota’s cancellation of the partnership has resulted in the Aron D’Souza led E+ Games going ballistic at the IOC. In a recent update, industrial giant Toyota mentioned about discontinuing its sponsorship of $835,000,000. This came as a huge setback for the IOC as the Paris Olympics are knocking around the corner. 

Seizing the opportunity, the official account of the Enhanced Games took to X and wrote, “Where are the $835,000,000 @Olympics? “Toyota unhappy the way sponsorship money was used by the IOC… the money was “not used effectively to support athletes and promote sports.” “At the @enhanced_games, athletes will be fairly paid.” The dig is of great significance as E+ Games and IOC are currently at war. 

The Enhanced Games, funded by several millionaires all over the world, allows athletes to push their limits. This process also includes the usage of performance-enhancing drugs, which is a strict taboo in the Olympics. Personalities like Seb Coe have stated that athletes signing up for the E+ Games will be permanently banned. However, the official website of the games terms the tournament as the “Olympics of the future.” Nonetheless, the deal with Toyota getting canceled will do more harm to the IOC than good. 

IOC loses millions amidst athlete pay controversy

After the success of the Pan American Games, Toyota decided to invest big in the Olympics back in 2015. The deal signed was estimated at a valuation of $835,000,000. Becoming a major part of the Olympics, Toyota wanted to upgrade the levels of the competition in the upcoming years. Marketing Manager of Toyota, Sean Shaffie pointed out, “Toyota T&T Limited is proud to announce this morning that for the next five years, starting today, we will be supporting our Olympic contingent via the T&T Olympic Committee to help them prepare for the 2020 Olympics. Not only because our parent company is an official Olympic sponsor, but because it is part of our burning desire to coordinate and contribute to Olympic success for our athletes.”

Unfortunately, the termination of the agreement meant that there were some indifferences between the two parties. This is exactly the weak point that the E+ Games targeted. Recalling the issue of athletes’ pay, they stated that the IOC did not utilize the entire fund for the development of the athletes. As a matter of fact, the IOC has been in constant criticism for paying their athletes. In fact, the situation went so downhill that the World Athletics announced a bonus pay of $50,000 to all the track athletes who secured gold in Paris. 

On the other hand, the Enhanced Games have been dishing out huge amounts of money. In a recent report, the organization promised a payout of $100,000 to ten athletes for agreeing to feature in a documentary clarifying the doubts over the E+ Games. Thus, with things getting controversial, it will be interesting to see which way the tide turns.