Jakarta – The world of Indonesian e-sports has shone again with the re-election of the Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) General of Police (ret.) Prof. Dr. Budi Gunawan, SHN M.Si., Ph.D., PSM as the Executive Board of Esport Indonesia (PB ESI) for the 2024-2029 period.
In his previous achievements, Budi Gunawan succeeded in changing the way society views sports by interacting with technology, community, and pop culture.
In his welcoming speech during the announcement of the appointment of the General Chairperson of PB ESI, Police General (Ret.) Budi Gunawan at the National Sports Conference and National Coordination Meeting of PB ESI on Sunday (6/10) conveyed how the development of e-sports is currently very rapid.
“The global reach of e-sports is currently growing very rapidly, the latest data shows that the e-sports audience has reached more than 577 million people in 2024,” said the Head of BIN in Jakarta.
Budi Gunawan also expressed his gratitude for being re-elected as General Chair of PB ESI.
“I express my gratitude for the trust given to bring PB ESI back to provide support for e-sports athletes to make the nation proud,” said Budi Gunawan.
PB ESI has received international recognition as the only official e-sports parent organization representing Indonesia in the international e-sports federation. This is the result of Indonesia’s e-sports diplomacy which is increasingly recognized as having the strength to compete globally.
Deputy General Chairperson 3 of KONI, Major General TNI Ret. Andri Sutarno gave his highest respect to PB ESI for its success in leading the 21st National Sports Week (PON) Aceh-North Sumatra in 2024 in the e-sports branch and for the election of Budi Gunawan as General Chairperson of PB ESI.
“We as KONI express our full appreciation for the election of Mr. Budi Gunawan as the General Chairperson of PB ESI and the carving of history of e-sports matches in the 21st PON Aceh-North Sumatra 2024. We are also very proud of the revival of the gaming industry in Indonesia, namely Battle of Guardians.” said Andri Sutarno.
He also added that with this Rakornas, it is expected to be an evaluation so that this country can achieve more in addition to improving the country’s esports industry. The Munas which will be held soon is expected to produce a management that can continue the achievements of domestic e-sports.
For information, PB ESI has achieved many achievements in the field of e-sports in the period 2020-2024 including the 2021 Honai-Vietnam SEA Games, the 2022 IESF World Championship in Bali, the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games. In addition, PB ESI provides facilities for e-sports athletes to develop their talents in the world of e-sports and provides awards through the appointment of civil servants for those who excel.