Taj Izrin wins the decider to hand Malaysia a second Asian Games gold

NAGOYA: Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira won the Gran Turismo 7 esports event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today, delivering Malaysia's second gold medal of the Games.

The 27-year-old finished with 36 points at the Aichi Sky Expo, ahead of Saudi Arabia's Naif Abdulhakim Alfaleh and South Korea's Kim Young Chan, who each ended on 25.

Taj Izrin was second in the first two races before closing out the competition with a win in the third.

In the opening race he clocked 14:36.103 behind Japan's Ryota Kokubun. In the second he finished 0.054 seconds behind Kim in a tight three-way contest.

In the third race he recorded 25:07.185, finishing more than four seconds clear of the South Korean and Japanese drivers.

A first esports gold

The win is Malaysia's first esports gold medal at the Asian Games.

The Malaysian Electronic Sports Federation announced an additional RM20,000 prize for him.

Malaysia's first gold at Aichi-Nagoya came from the karateka Adeola Fay Robert, who won the women's under-55 kilogramme kumite event on Tuesday.

The national contingent brought 352 athletes to the Games with a target of 33 medals: six gold, seven silver and 20 bronze. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games run until October 4.