SHAH ALAM, Aug 15 — The pressure of competing on home ground should serve as motivation for Selangor athletes as they aim to win 80 gold medals and reclaim the overall title at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
Selangor SUKMA contingent chief Abbas Azmi said he was confident in the state’s athletes based on their thorough preparations, including in terms of physical and psychological readiness.
However, he acknowledged that actual results would also be influenced by several other factors, including prevailing conditions, the athletes’ emotions and the weather.
“At this point, I am confident that our athletes are at least 80 to 85 per cent ready to achieve the target of 80 gold medals,” he said during Media Selangor’s Bicara Semasa programme recently.
Abbas said physical preparation and training alone would not be sufficient without a “champion mentality” and a clear sense of direction among the athletes.
“The mindset and attitude I instil in them is that we want to be champions. When they have that champion mentality, they will train to become champions.
“That is why one of my slogans is ‘Selangor Juara’, not ‘Selangor Boleh’. We know we can do it; now we want to be champions,” he said.
He also reminded the athletes to make the most of the opportunity to represent Selangor at SUKMA to build their reputation and pursue greater opportunities in their sporting careers.
“Among the thousands of young people out there, they are the ones who have been selected and given the opportunity to compete in SUKMA. So, this is a great opportunity to build their reputation and go further.”
The 22nd SUKMA features 469 events across 37 sports, involving nine districts and 52 venues throughout the state. It takes place 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.
