By Wilfred Pilo
For 73-year-old Goh Choon Hiuk, seeing her eldest grandson win a gold medal in esports at Sukma 2026 was one of the happiest moments of her life. But when asked what esports meant to her, she smiled and replied, “Itu main game dalam computer” (“It’s playing computer games”).
While she sees it as playing computer games, her 16-year-old grandson, Jeff Tan, sees it as a sport that could take him to the international stage.
A student at St Joseph’s Private Secondary School, Tan won the team gold in the endurance sim-racing event and an individual silver medal in the men’s speed category at Sukma 2026.
Speaking to DayakDaily at his grandmother’s home in Taman Satria Jaya, BDC, Tan said he began his esports journey in 2020, when he was 10 years old.
His father, a car-racing enthusiast who uses racing simulators for training, introduced him to the sport and encouraged him to register with the Sarawak Esports Association (SESA).
His father’s encouragement eventually paved the way for Tan to represent Sarawak at Sukma 2024, where he won a team silver medal in endurance sim-racing.
The experience motivated him to train harder and aim for gold at the next Games.
“Winning gold with my team at Sukma 2026 proved that our hard work had paid off,” he said.
Tan said the team trained intensively ahead of the competition and stayed focused on their goal of reaching the podium.
Access to good facilities and a simulation racing centre in Sarawak also played an important role in their preparations.
His latest achievement has opened another door: Tan has been invited to represent Malaysia at the Asia Sim Racing Championship (ASRC) in Shanghai this November, where he hopes to perform well enough to qualify for the next competition in Germany.
Beyond esports, however, Tan has an even bigger ambition—to become a professional race car driver and compete on real racing circuits.
He has trained on advanced racing simulators in Kuala Lumpur and gained track experience at the Sepang International Circuit, where he has been honing his driving skills.
These experiences have given him a better understanding of the precision, discipline, and technical skills required in professional motorsport.
Tan looks up to Malaysian racing driver and sim-racer Naquib Azlan, who continues to guide and mentor him as he works towards his goals, and expressed his gratitude to the Sarawak government and SESA president Afiq Fadhli Narawi for their continued support.
He also hopes more young people with esports talent will take up the sport, helping Sarawak strengthen its presence in the industry.
For Tan, the Sukma gold medal is not the finish line, but another milestone in a journey fuelled by ambition and determination.
As he sets his sights on international competitions and professional motorsport, he hopes to make his family proud and bring further recognition to Sarawak and Malaysia. — DayakDaily
