SHAH ALAM, Aug 2 — The football and cricket competitions at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) 2026 will begin four days before the opening ceremony, to allow sufficient time to complete their competition schedules.
Selangor State Sports Council (MSNS) executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi said both sports which will begin on August 11, require a longer competition period, with rest days between matches making it necessary for the events to start ahead of the Games' official opening on August 15.
"The matches need to start earlier because teams require a day's rest after each fixture before competing again, allowing the schedule to rotate among the participating states,” he told Media Selangor.
Mohamad Nizam said the men's football competition will be held at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium, the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Stadium and Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi Stadium.
“The women's football matches will take place at the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council Stadium and the Selayang Municipal Council Stadium,” he added.
For cricket matches, Mohamad Nizam said the programme will also begin on August 11, will be played at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Stadium and the Bayu Emas ground in Klang.
On Selangor's preparations as host of the country's largest multi-sport event, Mohamad Nizam said all volunteers will gather in Sepang on August 9 in conjunction with the final leg of the SUKMA Torch Run.
"Their registration will be carried out there. They will also receive further briefings, including the allocation of duties and their respective scopes of work," he said.
Earlier, SUKMA volunteer committee chairman Syamsul Tahrin Mohd Tahir said all volunteers would undergo character development and workflow training to ensure the smooth organisation of the Games.
He said the training is aimed at strengthening the volunteers' identity while enhancing teamwork.
SUKMA Selangor 2026 will be held from August 15 to 24, featuring 469 medal events across 37 sports in nine districts and 52 competition venues.
The Games will be followed by Para SUKMA 2026 from September 5 to 14, featuring 316 medal events across 10 sports namely; swimming, athletics, badminton, table tennis, tenpin bowling, lawn bowls, archery, chess, boccia and powerlifting.
All state contingents will participate, while Brunei Darussalam has confirmed its participation as an invitational contingent, bringing the total number of contingents to 15.
