Indonesia Targets Esports Medal in Gran Turismo 7 at Asian Games

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Gran Turismo 7 esports team is targeting a medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya after sharpening its technical skills and adapting to the circuits and cars selected for the competition.

Gran Turismo 7 coach Benaya Theo said athlete Andika Rama Maulana had spent the past two months preparing, initially focusing on technical aspects such as throttle control and cornering while anticipating the cars and circuits that might be used.

“Our target yesterday was at least, or most realistically, a silver medal, or at least a bronze,” Benaya said in Jakarta on Thursday, September 10, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The team began with general preparations because the competition handbook--containing details on possible circuits and cars--was only received from the organizers one week ago.

After receiving the handbook, the team adjusted training to the four designated circuits and four types of cars used in the competition.

For final preparations, Andika also trained using Toyota cars. The automotive company is an official partner of the 2026 Asian Games, making Toyota vehicles a likely option for the event.

Gran Turismo 7 will feature only one event at the Asian Games, an individual competition. Fifteen participants will advance from the qualifying round before being divided into two groups.

Participants with odd-numbered rankings will enter Group A, while those with even-numbered rankings will compete in Group B. The top four participants from each group will advance to the final, which will feature eight competitors.

Japan is expected to be Indonesia’s strongest rival, as Gran Turismo was developed in Japan and has a large player base there. Japanese players have also frequently won world titles in Gran Turismo competitions.

“Besides Japan, we are also watching Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. These seven countries, including Indonesia and Japan, have close competition based on our previous encounters and experience in the game,” he said.

Indonesia’s Gran Turismo 7 team is one of the esports squads competing at the 2026 Asian Games, which will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Japan. The team consists of only one athlete, 32-year-old Andika Rama Maulana. ***