SHAH ALAM, Aug 3 — Nearly 80 per cent of the facilities and infrastructure used for the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) are owned by local authorities, with upgrades funded by a RM100 million allocation.
Selangor Sports Council (MSN) executive officer Mohamad Nizam Marjugi said he is confident that the investment would not go to waste, as the upgraded facilities will continue to benefit local communities and support athlete development.
"After SUKMA, these facilities can continue to be used by the surrounding community. Therefore, the cost of upgrading them will not become a waste of public funds or result in white elephant projects, and they will contribute to the development of future athletes," he told Media Selangor.
Nizam also thanked all local authorities that helped provide comprehensive facilities for the Games, noting that some of the venues now meet international standards.
Their willingness to allocate their own funds was not solely for SUKMA 2026, but also reflected their commitment to developing more athletes.
"The local authorities have been generous in providing allocations to refurbish and upgrade existing venues, with some of them now reaching international standards," he said.
Nizam cited the Petaling Jaya City Council as an example, which spent nearly RM10 million upgrading the MBPJ Stadium, hockey, BMX, and tennis facilities, excluding expenditure by other local authorities.
"That does not even include other local authorities such as Klang and Shah Alam," he said.
On its part, MSN also conducted site visits to all venues for inspection and assessment, while the SUKMA Technical Committee was tasked with conducting further evaluations.
"We have not received any complaints regarding the existing specifications or standards. We are now in the final phase of installing the equipment to be used at the respective venues," Nizam said.
The 22nd edition of the Games will feature 469 events across 37 sports in nine districts, involving 52 venues throughout Selangor from August 15 to August 24.
Meanwhile, the Para SUKMA will be held from September 5 to September 14, featuring 369 events across 10 sports, including swimming, athletics, badminton, table tennis, tenpin bowling, lawn bowls, and archery.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam. In addition to the 15 state contingents, Brunei Darussalam will also participate as an invited contingent.
SUKMA 2026 will be the country's second-largest national multi-sport event before Kelantan hosts the Games in 2028. As host state, Selangor has set a target of winning 80 gold medals.
