By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
SHAH ALAM, Feb 2 — The final venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 22nd Malaysia Games (Sukma) and 22nd Para Sukma, which will be held in Selangor, is expected to be announced in April.
State executive councillor for sports Mohd Najwan Halimi said discussions with relevant parties are ongoing to finalise the location.
“By April, God willing, we will announce the final location for the opening and closing ceremonies of Sukma. Right now, we are still in the discussion phase, working to finalise the details,” he told reporters at the Kota Anggerik state assembly Health Carnival at Surau Al-Ansor, Section 2, here today.
Previously, on January 20, Najwan had said that the Sukma Organising Committee is considering the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) as a potential venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 22nd Sukma, while MBPJ Stadium is being considered for the Para Sukma events.
The committee said the games are expected to be held in August 2026.
On athlete preparations, Najwan emphasised that the state’s athlete development programme is in full swing, with improvements underway, including sending athletes for overseas training.
“Recently, I visited Indonesia and met with the Indonesian Olympic Council to explore potential collaborations and ways to synergise our athlete development programmes.
“We may send some of our athletes there for training, while Indonesian athletes could train in Selangor. This programme is ongoing, and we are identifying the athletes and sports involved,” he explained.
He added that it is still too early to announce the list of athletes who will represent Selangor at the biennial games next year.
“Following the Sukma in Sarawak, some of our athletes may not be eligible to compete as they age out. So, we need to focus on nurturing new athletes through our development programmes.
“We expect to announce the athlete lineup for Sukma 2026 next year, which is more realistic,” he added.
Selangor will host the prestigious games for the second time, following its previous stint in 1998.
During the 2025 Selangor Budget tabling, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari announced an allocation of RM6 million for sports development programmes in preparation for the 22nd Sukma.
