SHAH ALAM, Aug 6 — Selangor's swimming team is hoping to recreate its stellar performance at the 2016 Malaysia Games (SUKMA), when it won 20 gold medals, as it prepares to compete on home soil in this year's edition.
Head coach Mark Chua Yu Foong said he hopes the team can relive the success achieved a decade ago, when it also collected more than 20 silver and bronze medals.
He said swimming has consistently been one of Selangor's strongest medal contributors, including at the 2010 SUKMA in Melaka, the 2012 edition in Pahang and, most notably, the 2016 Games.
“In 2016, we won 20 gold medals, along with more than 20 silver and bronze medals. Hopefully we can repeat that achievement this time. If not, even half of that would be satisfactory.
“However, as the host state, expectations are naturally higher. We are targeting between seven and eight gold medals,” he told Media Selangor.
Swimming, which offers 41 gold medals, will be held from August 19 to 23 at the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre in Section 13 here, which has a seating capacity of about 4,000 spectators.
Chua also expressed confidence in his swimmers, noting that many have extensive competitive experience, including previous SUKMA appearances, while several are also national athletes.
He said he expects the team to play a key role in helping Selangor secure the overall SUKMA title.
“Preparations for this SUKMA began a week after the Sarawak Games ended. We have never stopped training and have competed in several prestigious tournaments, including overseas.
“We recently competed in Singapore. The competition was intense, but we still managed to win medals. We did not set any targets there, as the aim was simply to expose our athletes to higher-level competition, but we exceeded expectations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre in Section 13 has been upgraded with modern facilities, including electronic timing sensors and a new scoring system, ahead of SUKMA 2026.
State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi said the RM40 million upgrading project included the replacement of key infrastructure such as spectator seats, water pumps and underground pipelines.
He said the large-scale upgrading works were carried out to meet current requirements and marked the first major refurbishment since the facility was opened for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
“With the latest technology and modern systems in place, Selangor will be well-positioned to host international swimming competitions in the future,” he said.
The 22nd SUKMA will feature 469 events across 37 sports at 52 venues in nine districts throughout Selangor from August 15 to 24.
The Para SUKMA will be held from September 5 to 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 Shah Alam. In addition to the 15 state contingents, Brunei Darussalam will participate as an invited contingent.
Selangor, which is hosting the Games, has set a target of 80 gold medals. The next edition of SUKMA will be held in Kelantan in 2028.
