SUKMA 2026 VENUE PREPARATION AT 80 PCT - MOHD NAJWAN

SEPANG, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The level of venue readiness for the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor involving infrastructure and sports facility upgrades across the state has now reached about 80 per cent.

Selangor Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Exco Mohd Najwan Halimi said the preparations include sports facilities at the local authority (PBT) and district levels, which are currently undergoing improvement.

Mohd Najwan also informed that two main venues that are currently undergoing a comprehensive upgrade are the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre (PADE) in Section 13, Shah Alam and the Subang Shooting Range.

“If we look at the aquatic centre (PADE), it was last used for SUKMA 1998, after it was opened in 1997, almost 30 years ago. This is a major upgrade after almost 30 years involving improvements in terms of facilities and technology.

“So God willing, by April, we aim to have all our sports facilities ready to be used for the organisation of Sukma 2026,” he said at a press conference for the Symbolic Arrival Ceremony of the SUKMA 2026 Torch at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 here, today.

The torch was brought by SUKMA Secretariat chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Mohd Yazid Saari as a symbol to mark the start of the campaign and promotion to raise the excitement of SUKMA 2026 scheduled to take place from August 15-24.

SUKMA Torch 2026 will be taken to tour nine districts in Selangor as part of a campaign to promote Selangor's second hosting of the biennial sports games.

Earlier, a ceremony to hand over the SUKMA 2026 torch to Selangor as the host of the 22nd edition was held in Kuching, Sarawak, which hosted the last edition in 2024.

A total of 474 events involving 37 types of sports will be contested in this edition while the SUKMA 2026 Paralympics, scheduled to take place from Sept 5-14, will feature 10 types of sports.

-- BERNAMA