SHAH ALAM, May 7 — Selangor athletes remain focused on training ahead of SUKMA 2026 this August despite the sporting event being organised in a more prudent manner.
Head of contingent Abbas Azmi said preparations are progressing satisfactorily, with athletes showing strong commitment to bringing success to the state.
“At the moment, they are undergoing training as usual and are unaffected by the reduction in allocation.
“In fact, if we look at their preparations, the training sessions have been very encouraging and everyone is ready to give their best for the Selangor contingent,” he said.
He said this when met during a visit programme with Selangor athletes at the Sports Excellence Centre here.
During the visit, Abbas spent more than an hour with athletes involved in silambam, boxing, karate and pencak silat.
Abbas also said the final list of athletes representing Selangor at SUKMA will be confirmed by July.
“Some sports already have their lists while others do not. They need to finalise them by June at the latest,” he said.
Previously, Selangor executive councillor for sports Mohd Najwan Halimi said the cost of organising SUKMA Selangor 2026 had been reduced by almost 50 per cent from the original RM100 million allocation.
The approach is in line with efforts to control spending without affecting the main focus of athlete development and talent identification, in accordance with the decree of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.
On April 20, Sultan Sharafuddin suggested that the sporting event be postponed until the crisis in West Asia is resolved and the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed.
His Royal Highness said the suggestion took into account the high cost of organising the biennial event amid the current economic situation.
The 22nd edition of SUKMA will take place from August 15 to 24, while Para SUKMA will be held from September 5 to 10.
A total of 474 events across 37 sports will be contested in nine districts involving 52 competition venues, while Para SUKMA will feature 10 sports and 316 events in the Petaling and Klang districts.
