Two Bronzes in a Day Take Malaysia's Esports Haul to Five Medals at Aichi-Nagoya
Identity V and Mobile Legends bronzes mean Malaysia's esports squads have won a gold, two silvers and two bronzes at the Asian Games.
Malaysia's esports teams won two more medals on Wednesday. The Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) squads both lost their semi-finals at Aichi Sky Expo but each took bronze.
That gives Malaysia five esports medals at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Bernama reported.
Malaysia's esports medals
- Gold: Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, Gran Turismo 7
- Silver: eFootball
- Silver: Honor of Kings
- Bronze: Identity V
- Bronze: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Identity V: Japan too strong
The Identity V team lost their best-of-three semi-final 2-0 to Japan. Malay Mail reported that it is Malaysia's first medal in the game at the Asian Games.
The squad was captain Gan Hoon Ming, Yiau Wen Feng, Vincent Yii, Nicky Ho, Ng Wei Hao, George Chin and Cheah Euggee.
"Japan are a very strong outfit and they fielded their best players. When both teams are at the same level, the game becomes very intense," Hoon Ming said.
He said the two teams have now met three times, with Malaysia winning once and Japan twice. The team will now aim for gold at the 2027 SEA Games, which Malaysia is hosting.
MLBB: losing their composure
The MLBB team reached the semi-finals with a 2-0 quarter-final win over Jordan. Their hopes rose after the Philippines, one of the strongest teams, were knocked out unexpectedly in the other half of the draw. Myanmar then beat Malaysia 2-0, even though the Malaysians played well in the second game.
Muhammad Haqqullah Ahmad Shahrul Zaman, known as Sekys, said the team lost their composure after taking the lead.
"Perhaps, we were too overexcited because we took the lead. We could not keep each other calm and maintain our composure midway through the game," he told Bernama.
He also called Myanmar one of the best teams in the region.
Why esports matter to the medal table
Esports is one of Malaysia's best medal sources at these Games. Taj Izrin Aiman's Gran Turismo 7 gold on 23 September was Malaysia's first Asian Games esports gold. It was also one of the six golds that took the contingent to its pre-Games target.
Malaysia's overall record on the official standings is six golds, five silvers and 12 bronzes, 11th place. Esports has produced one of those golds, two of the silvers and two of the bronzes.
What's next
The national record is nine golds, from Guangzhou 2010. Malaysia's best remaining chances are now in other sports: squash team finals on Friday, the men's hockey final on Saturday if the Speedy Tigers beat South Korea, and track cycling at Izu.
For the esports players, the next big target is at home. The Identity V captain has already named the 2027 SEA Games as the team's goal.
Key takeaways
- Malaysia won bronze in Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on 30 September.
- Identity V lost 2-0 to Japan, and MLBB lost 2-0 to Myanmar.
- Malaysia's esports total is one gold, two silvers and two bronzes.
- Both teams now have the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia in mind.
FAQ
Who won Malaysia's esports gold? Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, in Gran Turismo 7.
Who beat Malaysia's MLBB team? Myanmar, 2-0 in the semi-final.
Where were the esports events held? At Aichi Sky Expo.
Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, The Star, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 official results