SHAH ALAM, Aug 13 — The state contingent opened their medal account at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in style by winning two gold medals in the men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball events, two days before the official opening ceremony of the Games on Saturday (August 15).
The achievement provided an early boost, as it targets 80 gold medals, while preparations as the host continue to be strengthened, including facilities, athlete welfare, and media coverage throughout the Games.
Selangor is focusing on athlete welfare and the quality of competition, prioritising facilities, logistics, and venue management. Nearly 80 per cent of SUKMA venues owned by local authorities have also been upgraded at a cost of almost RM100 million.
Athlete development is also being carried out continuously, with support in sports science, nutrition, and fitness forming part of preparations to achieve the 80-gold target.
Ahead of the Games, Media Selangor has also strengthened its visual coverage preparations through a collaboration with Futuromic, which is providing cameras and lenses suited to sports photography requirements for personnel to use throughout SUKMA.
The collaboration gives the photography team an opportunity to explore the latest photography technology to produce higher-quality, more professional visual content for various platforms throughout the Games, which run from August 15 to August 24.
The women’s 3x3 basketball team first delivered the opening gold medal after defeating the Federal Territories 21-4, before the men’s team completed the clean sweep with a 21-13 victory over the same opponents.
Both successfully defended the titles they won at SUKMA 2024 in Sarawak, providing the perfect start to Selangor’s quest for overall Games supremacy.
Contingent chief Abbas Salimmi Che Adzmi described the two gold medals as a positive sign that the athletes’ thorough preparations and hard work were beginning to bear fruit, while hoping the momentum can be maintained until the final day of the Games.
The support of spectators and volunteers at the venues also provided an added boost for the host athletes in action.
Selangor’s women’s water polo team also began their campaign with a victory, defeating Penang 20-12 at Akuatik Selangor. They made a strong start, scoring the opening goal just 16 seconds into the match and then continued to control proceedings.
The team will continue their Group H campaign against Sarawak in their next match.
Meanwhile, the men’s water polo team came from behind in the first quarter to defeat the Federal Territories 13-5 in their second Group B match, recording their second consecutive victory after previously defeating Penang 23-13.
Selangor will now face Sabah in their next match as they look to maintain their positive momentum.
The two 3x3 gold medals and victories in water polo have given Selangor a positive start as the main Games draw closer. More importantly, the successes came before the official opening ceremony, giving the contingent an opportunity to build momentum early.
Now, the attention turns to other events that are beginning their competitions, with the state needing to maintain its momentum to realise its target of 80 gold medals and pursue overall Games glory on home soil.
