Indonesian Esports Federation Appointed Muhammad Herindra As the New Chairman, Along with New Board Members
Indonesian Esports Federation (Pengurus Besar Esports Indonesia/PB ESI) has inaugurated a new chairman, now led by Muhammad Herindra, who succeeded the previous chairman, Budi Gunawan. The appointment also includes new board members for the 2026-2030 term.
The inauguration ceremony, held on September 15, 2026 at the headquarters of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) in Jakarta, was attended by key figures including Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) Chairman Marciano Norman and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Taufik Hidayat.
Besides Herindra, new board members are also elected with backgrounds in the video game and esports industry. Some of these members include Hartman Harris, co-founder of EVOS Esports team and current Head of Competition at PB ESI; Rob Clinton Kardinal, Chairman of Indonesian Video Game Association (AVGI) and founder of ONIC team; and Daniel Agung, CEO of video game top-up service Vocagame. Their position in this new term is yet to be revealed.
Herindra, who currently heads BIN, outlined ambitious goals for Indonesian esports, aiming to strengthen its domestic dominance and elevate its role on the global stage. He highlighted the achievements of Indonesia’s national esports teams at events such as the SEA Games and the IESF World Esports Championship as proof of esports’ growing importance in international diplomacy.
“Indonesia has many young talents with the potential to bring national esports to greater achievements internationally. With well-directed programs and the support of all parties and the Indonesian people, we are optimistic that Indonesian esports will continue to advance and achieve international recognition,” said Herindra in his speech.
PB ESI’s roadmap under Herindra emphasizes regulatory frameworks, standardized governance, and enhanced player welfare.
“PB ESI will promote regulations and standardization to protect athletes and industry players, including legal certainty, standardized player contracts, and contractual enforcement. The physical and mental health of athletes is also an important part of building a healthy, safe, and sustainable esports ecosystem,” he emphasized.
Herindra’s career has been firmly rooted in the military. As a military academy graduate who joined the elite Kopassus unit, he rose to become its commander in 2015 and later served briefly as Chief of General Staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2020. He held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense from 2020 until 2024 under Prabowo Subianto, who is now the current president of Indonesia. When his tenure as a Deputy Minister ended, Herindra was then appointed the head of BIN, a position he continues to hold.
PB ESI itself was founded in January 2020 as the governing body of esports in Indonesia, and acknowledged as a member of KONI in August the same year. They have established offices in 34 provinces and 512 regencies across Indonesia. As the governing body of esports in Indonesia, PB ESI is responsible for developing new talents in the country, as well as strengthening the esports ecosystem through collaboration with game publishers and enforcing regulations.
As part of its integration with KONI, PB ESI organized esports exhibition events at the 2020 National Sports Week (PON) in Papua, contesting three games: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Free Fire, and eFootball PES 2021. PB ESI then expanded esports events at 2024 PON in Aceh-North Sumatra, with 5 medal events and 2 exhibition events.
Herindra’s appointment reflected a broader strategy to designate esports as a national strategic priority and diplomatic tool, supported by board members who already have experience in the association and esports industry. His main goals of esports reform would align with game publishers and commercial leagues' interests, such as Moonton's MPL Indonesia and Tencent's PMPL Indonesia, to increase sustainability of esports scene.
