BALINEWSID.COM, JAKARTA — Retired Army General Muhammad Herindra has officially been inaugurated as Chairman of the Indonesian Esports Federation (PB ESI) for the 2026–2030 term, with the organization targeting stronger athletes, a more competitive ecosystem, and clearer pathways to international success.

Herindra, who also serves as Head of Indonesia’s State Intelligence Agency (BIN), said leading PB ESI was a strategic national responsibility, extending beyond the development of esports as a sport.

“Esports is no longer merely entertainment or a waste of time. It is a formal profession that requires discipline, dedication, and intellectual ability,” Herindra said in an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept. 15, 2026).

Herindra said Indonesia has more than 200 million active gamers in 2026, while the country’s gaming market is valued at more than US$2 billion.

He said Indonesia should not remain merely a market or an audience for the global gaming industry. Instead, the country needs to strengthen its domestic ecosystem, including game developers, event organizers, content creators and streaming platforms.

“Local talent must become leaders in their own country and key players in the global market,” he said.

Herindra said PB ESI would establish clearer achievement pathways for esports athletes while strengthening regulations and standards to protect athletes and other industry players.

The federation’s priorities include legal certainty, player contract protection, coaching and development standards, as well as athletes’ physical and mental well-being.

He also described international esports achievements as a form of digital diplomacy that could help strengthen Indonesia’s global image.

Indonesia, he noted, has already recorded achievements in esports at the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and World Esports Championship.

Chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI), retired Lieutenant General Marciano Norman, welcomed Herindra’s inauguration along with the new PB ESI leadership for the 2026–2030 period.

Marciano said stronger organizational governance was needed to support athlete development and produce Indonesian esports athletes capable of competing successfully at the international level.

“PB ESI’s organizational governance must continue to be strengthened so that it can produce Indonesian esports athletes who achieve success on the international stage,” Marciano said.

He also urged PB ESI to provide full support for Indonesian esports athletes competing at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

“The achievements of our athletes in various international competitions provide a foundation and an opportunity to achieve the best possible results at the Asian Games,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Taufik Hidayat said the government supports PB ESI under Herindra’s leadership and its commitment to improving the international performance of Indonesian esports athletes.

Taufik stressed that athlete development requires a long-term approach and cannot be achieved instantly.

“We need young people not only to participate in sports, but we also need investment. What is always emphasized now is that sports cannot be developed instantly. We need a long-term approach,” Taufik said.

He added that esports has increasingly become comparable to other sports in terms of the need for structured development and long-term support.

“I think esports is now on the same level as other sports that need to be further developed. We also need to understand that esports will become even bigger in the future,” Taufik said.