Sarawak Esports Expo 2026 to bring Malaysia-Russia esports cooperation into State

Afiq (left) and Smith during the signing ceremony of the MoU for Strategic Cooperation in Esports Development during the final of the BRICS Esports Championship at the VK Play Arena in Moscow, Russia, recently.

By DayakDaily Team

MOSCOW, Sept 14: The Russian Esports Federation (RESF) and its esports delegation have been invited to participate in the upcoming Sarawak Esports Expo 2026 (SAREX26), which will be held from November 14–15.

According to a press release, this is part of Sarawak’s efforts to become a meeting point where international federations, industry leaders, technology partners, athletes, and communities can connect and explore opportunities together.

“We want SAREX26 to be more than an esports event. Having our friends from Russia in Sarawak would be a meaningful beginning to the Malaysia–Russia esports cooperation that we formalised here in Moscow,” said Malaysia Esports Federation (MESF) deputy president Afiq Fadhli Narawi.

The invitation also allows both federations to explore future activities in Malaysia, including bilateral esports programmes, friendly competitions, training and bootcamp opportunities, knowledge exchanges, and potential industry-to-industry collaboration.

This followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the MESF and RESF on Strategic Cooperation in Esports Development here recently.

Afiq and Dmitry Smith, president of the RESF, signed the MoU during the final of the BRICS Esports Championship powered by GigaChat at the VK Play Arena.

The strategic partnership establishes a framework for Malaysia and Russia to work together in strengthening the esports ecosystems of both countries, with cooperation covering international competitions, athlete and national team development, coaching and technical expertise, education and knowledge exchange, technology and innovation, youth and grassroots development, as well as esports industry collaboration.

The MoU will also explore establishing a Malaysia–Russia Esports Friendship Programme, which may include friendly competitions and Friendship Cups, reciprocal national team training camps, athlete and professional exchanges, youth and university programmes, technology collaboration, and esports business initiatives.

“This is more than just the signing of an MoU. It is the beginning of a practical partnership where we want to create real opportunities for our athletes, coaches, officials, institutions and esports industry players from both countries.

“Russia has a strong esports ecosystem and Malaysia, together with our growing esports industry and talent base, has much that we can share. Through this cooperation, we hope to build a relationship that goes beyond competitions and creates meaningful exchanges in education, technology, talent development and the wider esports industry,” said Afiq.

Smith welcomed the cooperation between the two federations and highlighted the importance of strengthening Russia’s international esports relationships, particularly with countries in Asia.

Through the MoU, MESF and RESF intend to maintain regular engagement and identify programmes they can implement jointly at national, regional, and international levels, including opportunities connected to BRICS countries and partner nations.

The agreement will remain in effect for three years, with the possibility of renewal through mutual agreement. — DayakDaily