Taj Izrin Aiman Wins Malaysia's First-Ever Asian Games Esports Gold as Anwar Leads Praise
The 27-year-old sim racer won Gran Turismo 7 gold for Malaysia's second gold of the Games, and the Prime Minister called him an example for young gamers.
Malaysia's second gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games came from a racing simulator. Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, 27, won the Gran Turismo 7 (GT7) event at Aichi Sky Expo on Wednesday (23 September). It is Malaysia's first esports gold at the Asian Games.
How the race was won
The GT7 competition was held over three races. Taj Izrin finished second in each of the first two, which kept him in contention, and then won the third race. According to The Rakyat Post, he collected 16 points from the first two races and 20 from the final race, for a total of 36 points.
The Star reported the podium as:
- Gold: Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira (Malaysia)
- Silver: Naif Abdulhakim S. Alfaleh (Saudi Arabia)
- Bronze: Kim Young-chan (South Korea)
Malaysia's previous best esports results at the Asian Games were a silver in Arena of Valor and a bronze in Dota 2 at Hangzhou 2022.
Anwar: "An example to our young people"
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is on an official visit to China, congratulated Taj Izrin on Facebook.
"This success should be an example to our young people. If you want to play games, do it in a way that makes the country proud, just like Taj Izrin Aiman," he wrote, as quoted by Malay Mail. He ended with "Keep fighting, Malaysia!"
Federation credits the Podium Programme
Malaysian Esports Federation (MESF) president Muhammad Naim Al Amin Saharudin said the NSC's Podium Programme made a real difference. According to Bernama, GT7 was among the first esports events brought into the programme, and Taj Izrin was in the first group of national esports athletes to receive its support in recent months.
"I would like to express my gratitude to God that we have won the first gold medal for esports at the Asian Games," he said.
eFootball duo take silver the same day
Malaysia nearly won a second esports gold on Wednesday. Muhammad Hariz Hazmi Hakimin, 23, and Farish Luzman Muhammad Farid Sellekumar, 18, reached the eFootball final after beating Uzbekistan in the semi-final. Hariz won his console match 5-0 and Farish won his mobile match 2-0.
In the final against Iran, Farish won the mobile match 2-1. Iran's Hassan Pajani, a multiple world champion, then beat Hariz 3-0 on console, and Iran won 4-2 on aggregate. Malaysia took silver, its first of these Games.
More to come
Malaysia is entered in nine of the 11 esports events at Aichi-Nagoya and has set a target of at least five esports medals. With one gold and one silver already won, the esports team is on course with several events still to play.
Key takeaways
- Taj Izrin Aiman won Gran Turismo 7 gold on 23 September, Malaysia's first esports gold at the Asian Games.
- He finished second, second and then first across three races for 36 points.
- PM Anwar Ibrahim held him up as an example for young Malaysians who play games.
- Hariz and Farish won eFootball silver after losing 4-2 on aggregate to Iran in the final.
FAQ
Is this Malaysia's first esports gold at the Asian Games? Yes. Malaysia's previous esports medals were a silver and a bronze at Hangzhou 2022.
Who finished second and third in GT7? Saudi Arabia's Naif Abdulhakim S. Alfaleh won silver and South Korea's Kim Young-chan won bronze.
What is Malaysia's esports target? At least five medals across the nine esports events Malaysia has entered.
Sources: Malay Mail, Bernama, The Star, The Rakyat Post