Malaysia’s Best Asian Games Esports Haul: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
By KITAMEN • October 2026
Executive Summary
- Malaysia won five esports medals at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games: one gold (Gran Turismo 7), two silver (eFootball and Honor of Kings) and two bronze (Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang).
- It is Malaysia’s best esports haul at an Asian Games and its first esports gold. At Hangzhou 2022 Malaysia won one silver and one bronze.
- By our count Malaysia finished fourth in the esports medal table by golds, and level with Japan and South Korea on five medals, the most of any nation.
Deep Dive: The Five Medals
The esports programme ran from 22 September to 2 October across 11 events and 13 titles (Wikipedia). Malaysia medalled in five of them.
Gold: Gran Turismo 7. Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira won Malaysia’s first esports gold at an Asian Games on 23 September, the opening day of the programme.
Silver: eFootball and Honor of Kings. The eFootball silver came on 23 September, behind gold-medallist Iran. In Honor of Kings, Malaysia reached the final on 28 September and lost 0-4 to China.
Bronze: Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Both were decided on 30 September. The MLBB bronze, shared with Mongolia, is covered in our run-by-run recap.
Local Insight: How It Compares
Malaysia’s previous best was Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023: no golds, one silver (Arena of Valor) and one bronze (Dota 2) (Wikipedia). Five medals including a gold is a step change on that.
The MESF had said on 19 August it was aiming for at least five medals from nine events (Bernama); Malaysia won five. NST reported a different, lower target, so we use the MESF’s own figure.
The MESF’s 2 October statement thanked Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari and said the results validate the full-time Podium Programme (Bernama). On 1 October its president said it would apply to move MLBB to that programme and propose Honor of Kings (NST). Both are statements of intent from the federation, not approved decisions.
Across all sports, Malaysia finished with nine golds, seven silvers and 16 bronzes, matching its Guangzhou 2010 gold record (The Star).
A caution on the ranking. NST wrote that Malaysia was third overall in esports, but that was a mid-event snapshot on 1 October. On the completed results, Malaysia is fourth by golds.
Event-by-Event Results and the Medal Table
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| eFootball | Iran | Malaysia | Japan; Uzbekistan |
| Gran Turismo 7 | Malaysia | Saudi Arabia | South Korea |
| Honor of Kings | China | Malaysia | Hong Kong; Philippines |
| Naraka: Bladepoint | China | Thailand | Chinese Taipei; Vietnam |
| Puyo Puyo Champions | Japan | South Korea | Thailand; Chinese Taipei |
| Identity V | China | Japan | Malaysia; Chinese Taipei |
| League of Legends | South Korea | Chinese Taipei | Vietnam; Saudi Arabia |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | Myanmar | Indonesia | Malaysia; Mongolia |
| Pokemon UNITE | Japan | Indonesia | South Korea; Philippines |
| PUBG Mobile | Thailand | China | Pakistan |
| Competitive Martial Arts | South Korea | Japan | Saudi Arabia; Hong Kong |
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| South Korea | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Thailand | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Compiled by KITAMEN from the event results on Wikipedia. We cross-checked the golds and silvers against Sixth Tone, Inven and Bernama; some bronze placings for other nations rest on Wikipedia alone. Nations are ranked gold-first, then silver, then bronze.
What Comes Next
The Olympic Council of Asia said esports will continue “within the Asian Games”, and a separate Asian E-sports and Mind Sports Games is planned for Kuwait in 2027, per Xinhua via The Star. For Malaysia the open question is funding and training time: the MLBB bronze came from a squad that, by the MESF’s own account, is still on the part-time programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many esports medals did Malaysia win at the Asian Games 2026?
Five: one gold, two silver and two bronze. The gold was in Gran Turismo 7, the silvers in eFootball and Honor of Kings, and the bronzes in Identity V and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Who won Malaysia’s esports gold at the Asian Games 2026?
Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira won Gran Turismo 7 on 23 September 2026, Malaysia’s first esports gold at an Asian Games.
Is this Malaysia’s best Asian Games esports result?
Yes. At Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023, Malaysia won no gold, one silver in Arena of Valor and one bronze in Dota 2. The 2026 haul is five medals including a gold.
Where does Malaysia rank in the esports medal table?
By KITAMEN’s count from the published results, Malaysia is fourth ranked gold-first, behind China, Japan and South Korea, and level with Japan and South Korea on five medals in total.
Will esports stay at the Asian Games?
The Olympic Council of Asia said esports will continue within the Asian Games, according to Xinhua via The Star. A separate Asian E-sports and Mind Sports Games is planned for Kuwait in 2027.
Call to Action
Building an esports programme, school team or tournament in Malaysia? Contact KITAMEN or explore our services.
Related Knowledgebase Articles
Versi Bahasa Melayu
Malaysia won five esports medals at the Asian Games 2026: gold in Gran Turismo 7, silver in eFootball and Honor of Kings, and bronze in Identity V and MLBB. It is Malaysia’s best esports haul and first esports gold. By our count it is fourth by golds and level on five total medals with Japan and South Korea.
