KLANG, Aug 13 — The Selangor contingent opened its medal campaign for the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in style by winning the first two gold medals through the men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball events today.
Both teams demonstrated their dominance on home soil, with each defeating the Federal Territories in the finals held at Gelanggang Bola Keranjang Bukit Tinggi.
The women’s team first delivered Selangor’s opening gold medal after securing a stylish 21-4 victory over the Federal Territories. The triumph also saw Selangor successfully defend the gold medal they won at the 2024 SUKMA in Sarawak.
Soon after, the men’s team maintained the momentum by defeating the Federal Territories 21-13, completing a clean sweep of both 3x3 basketball gold medals.
Backed by rousing cheers from the state's cheerleading squad and supporters who packed the court, both host teams remained composed and controlled the game, underscoring their status as the favourites.
Team manager Tan Boon Thiam described the successful defence of both gold medals as a highly significant achievement and dedicated the victories to all Selangor supporters and residents.
“We are certainly delighted with these two gold medals. It is not easy to defend a title, but our players showed maturity and delivered success for the Selangor contingent.
“We also hope this success will further boost the spirit of the entire Selangor contingent as we seek to emerge as overall champions of the Games this time on home ground,” he told Media Selangor.
Meanwhile, women’s captain Elaine Chong Hui Lin said she was moved to have delivered Selangor’s first gold medal on home ground.
The team had nevertheless felt the pressure after realising that they had the opportunity to open the host contingent’s gold-medal account.
“My team-mates and I felt a little pressure when we realised that we could potentially deliver the first gold medal for the Selangor contingent.
“But once we stepped onto the court, our focus was solely on the match and, in the end, luck was on our side as we successfully defended this gold medal,” she said.
Winning two gold medals two days before the official opening ceremony of SUKMA 2026 will undoubtedly provide a boost to the Selangor contingent as it maintains its positive momentum in its quest for overall glory on home ground.
