By Siti Rohaizah Zainal
KLANG, Sept 10 — Selangor will ramp up its athlete development and training programme in preparation for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) that it will host in 2026, with a focus on producing additional gold medalists for the prestigious sports event.
State executive councillor for sports Najwan Halimi said 50 to 60 per cent of state athletes who competed in the recently concluded Sukma in Sarawak still possess significant potential to compete.
On top of this, he said Selangor will look to develop and showcase new, emerging talents.
"We will polish the silver and bronze medalists from the recent games in Sarawak to help them win gold at the next tournament. Additionally, we will identify and develop new talent to represent the state.
“Efforts need to begin immediately,” he said, adding that the state’s two main challenges today are preparing the athletes and hosting the upcoming tournament.
Najwan said this during a luncheon with Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah and Sarawak Sukma gold medalists at Istana Alam Shah here yesterday.
According to Najwan, a total of 27 mainstream sports events will be contested in the 2026 Sukma, including athletics, badminton, football, hockey, aquatics and archery.
"Additional sports, including chess, kabaddi, silambam and e-sports, which were contested in Sarawak, will also be considered," he said.
The 21st Sukma was held in Sarawak from August 17 to 24, with Selangor securing third place with a total of 56 gold, 64 silver and 61 bronze medals.
On August 3, Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari announced incentives of up to RM10,000 for athletes who deliver gold medals.
Individual athletes will receive RM10,000 in rewards, while those in team events will be awarded RM5,000 per person for teams of up to five and RM3,000 per person for larger teams.
