SHAH ALAM, Aug 27 — The foster model adopted by local councils during the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) will be expanded to strengthen Selangor’s sports ecosystem.
State executive councillor for sports Mohd Najwan Halimi said under the model, local councils would not merely provide financial support but serve as long-term development partners for sports associations and communities.
He said the approach could forge long-term development partnerships between local councils and sports associations, particularly in providing facilities, organising events, nurturing talent and supporting athletes.
Najwan said the state does not intend to rigidly assign each local council a specific sport under the ‘one sport, one local council’ concept outlined in the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2).
“Instead, the sporting focus of each local council should take into account the strengths, facilities, communities, associations and potential of sports within their respective areas.
“This allows the role of local councils to be tailored to local needs while avoiding overlaps in sports development among the 12 councils,” he told Media Selangor.
Under RS-2, which was tabled on August 7, Selangor aims to build on the momentum of hosting SUKMA through its ‘one sport, one local council’ initiative to encourage residents to adopt an active lifestyle.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the initiative would support community sports development at the local council level while strengthening the grassroots sports ecosystem.
During SUKMA 2026, all 12 local councils in Selangor served as foster partners for specific sports to help ensure events ran smoothly throughout the 14-day Games.
Najwan said the state government also wanted facilities upgraded for SUKMA to continue being utilised for regular training, community leagues, school tournaments and talent identification programmes.
He said the approach was in line with efforts to ensure that investments in sporting facilities for the Games delivered long-term benefits to the public and contributed to athlete development.
“The success of SUKMA 2026 should not be measured solely by how well the Games were organised or by the medals won, but also by the sporting development legacy that can be sustained after the Games have ended,” he said.
