Sim racer claims historic GT7 title after decisive final race at Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Malaysia has reached a new milestone in competitive gaming, with sim racer Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira delivering the country’s first esports gold medal in Asian Games history.
Taj Izrin Claims Historic GT7 Gold
Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, 27, won the Gran Turismo 7 esports title at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on September 23, becoming Malaysia’s first esports athlete to win an Asian Games gold medal. Competing at Aichi Sky Expo, he finished the three-race event with 36 points to secure the championship.
Final Race Secures Championship
Taj Izrin finished second in each of the opening two races, collecting 16 points before entering the final race with the title still within reach. He then delivered the decisive result in the third race, earning another 20 points and completing his comeback to take the overall title.
Victory Becomes Malaysia’s Second Gold
The GT7 triumph gave Malaysia its second gold medal of the Games at that stage of competition, following karate athlete Adeola Fay Robert’s victory in the women’s under-55kg kumite event. Taj Izrin’s result also added another medal to Malaysia’s campaign as athletes competed across multiple sports in Aichi-Nagoya.
Malaysia Improves on Hangzhou Esports Results
Malaysia had previously won Asian Games esports medals at Hangzhou 2022, taking silver in Arena of Valor and bronze in Dota 2. Taj Izrin’s victory in Japan therefore marked the country’s first step onto the top of an Asian Games esports podium.
Sim Racing Gains Historic Malaysian Result
The gold also placed Gran Turismo 7 sim racing at the center of Malaysia’s latest esports achievement. Malaysian Esports Federation president Muhammad Naim Al Amin Saharudin later said Taj Izrin was among the first national esports athletes included in the National Sports Council’s Podium Programme, crediting the athlete, coach and support system behind the result.
Taj Izrin’s victory gives Malaysian esports its first Asian Games gold and adds a major international result for the country’s sim racing community. For Malaysians, the achievement builds on the silver and bronze medals won in esports at Hangzhou 2022. For Indonesian and Singaporean esports followers, the result adds another Southeast Asian milestone at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Sources: BERNAMA (2026) , The Rakyat Post (2026)
Keywords: Malaysia Esports Gold, Taj Izrin Aiman, Asian Games 2026, Gran Turismo 7, Malaysia Sim Racing, Aichi Nagoya Games
