Search For New National Sports Stars Begins
KUALA LUMPUR: After the conclusion of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, the focus of local sports fans shifts to the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) 2026 in Selangor, which will officially open its curtain tomorrow.
Not only are 468 gold medals from 37 sports the focus of more than 5,000 athletes, but the SUKMA tradition continues in unearthing, building and producing more young sporting talents who are capable of going far at the national and international levels.
As the host, this situation not only gives an advantage to Selangor, but the solid cheers of supporters can also inspire the hunt for success to emerge as champions.
Selangor targets to win at least 80 gold medals from all the sports participated in, backed by 1,029 members consisting of 838 athletes and 191 team officials.
However, the host cannot take lightly the capabilities of four-time champions Sarawak, who have set a mission to defend the championship won when they hosted the games in the previous edition by setting a target of winning 75 golds.
In addition, two-time champions Federal Territory are also expected to provide a challenge in the top three group for this SUKMA, with a target of 180 medals regardless of colour.
Meanwhile, SUKMA 2026 will feature future stars of national sports, among them the bronze medallist of the men’s 100 metres (m) at the Thailand 2025 SEA Games, Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee, who is the main athlete and backbone of Johor to win the gold in the blue-ribbon event in Selangor.
The achievement of finishing fourth in the men’s 110m hurdles at the Asian U23 Athletics Championships in China last month saw Mohamad Armin Zahryl Abd Latif from Terengganu emerge as the main candidate to dominate that competition.
More interestingly, Mohamad Armin, who was also the Singapore Open champion last April, created a sensation by erasing the national record of 13.67 seconds (s) belonging to Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian set in 2017 with a new mark of 13.63s in the first heat of the same championship.
Two tenpin bowling athletes, namely Ethan Damien Goh from Sarawak and Selangor representative Muhammad Aiman Syahin Sulaiman, are the main bets for their respective state contingents to bring home gold.
Both of them were part of the national team that won the mixed team gold at the 2026 World Junior Bowling Championships in Kuching last month.
The success of winning the men’s 200m butterfly gold at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago gives hope for Selangor to reap gold in that event through Goh Li Hen.
Meanwhile, the ability of track cyclist from Penang, Nur Umairah Qhaisara Zulfikha Razak, has been tested after she ranked third in the world junior rankings for the women’s sprint event.
Based on the thorough preparations made, everything will be answered on the arena, including the question of whether SUKMA Selangor 2026 can become the stage for the birth of new stars who will bring glory to the country.
BERNAMA