RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Identity V national esports team has officially booked its place in the main event of the Asian Games 2026 after overcoming a challenging qualification round in Singapore from May 31 to June 1.

Head coach Richard Permana described the achievement as an important first step, while stressing that the team still has much to improve.

“There are many evaluations, especially for athletes who must catch up on in-game technical aspects," he said on Monday, June 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

"We also need to raise the quality of training so mistakes don’t become the norm. Increasing match experience is essential,” he added.

Richard noted that the group draw favored Indonesia, which is represented by athletes selected through the national open qualifier. The squad includes Athif Fatahilah Nursyam, Suhartanto Ardi Mulyo, Ricky Aulia, Muhammad Fachrul Putra Henri, and Daffa Pasha Arifin.

“With athletes from the open qualifier, Indonesia is quite fortunate with the group draw,” he added.

In the qualification stage, Indonesia was placed in Group B alongside Thailand, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, and Tajikistan. The journey was far from smooth, as the team lost 0-2 to both Taiwan and Thailand on the opening day.

However, they bounced back with a decisive 2-0 victory over Kazakhstan, a result that proved crucial in securing their ticket to the main event.

With qualification secured, the team is now focused on refining its gameplay and gaining more international experience. “We will think hard about how this team can achieve a podium finish in the main event,” Richard said, emphasizing the bigger goal ahead.

The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will mark a significant milestone for Indonesia’s esports scene, as the Identity V squad looks to prove itself against Asia’s strongest teams. ***