GEORGE TOWN, May 4 — Penang is now entering the final phase of preparations for the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA), scheduled to be held in Selangor this August, according to state Health, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Daniel Gooi.
He said the decision to proceed with SUKMA 2026 has brought relief to the state contingent.
“Now we are in the final preparation stage with less than 100 days to go, so we are fully in preparation mode. So far, the state government has spent about RM4.5 million to prepare the Penang contingent for the games.
“Imagine if Sukma were postponed; it would be a huge loss not only financially but also in terms of opportunities for our athletes to compete,” he said during a media conference at his office in KOMTAR today.
SUKMA 2026 was finally given the green light after the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj consented to it proceeding with a more prudent approach and cost-saving measures.
Gooi added that he believed the Games would be organised in a modest manner with minimised costs, without affecting the conduct of competitions.
Penang has yet to finalise its list of athletes and events to be contested, but initial estimates suggest a 600-strong contingent will be sent.
“It will be finalised closer to the competition date after the shortlisting process,” he said.
