Selangor: The 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor will feature the new sports of e-sports, chess, cricket, and kabaddi, according to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She announced that these sports were approved during the SUKMA Supreme Council meeting that she chaired. Additionally, boxing and softball were also selected as mandatory sports for the SUKMA starting from the 2026 edition.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, this decision increases the number of mandatory sports to 30, with a total of 34 sports set to be contested at SUKMA 2026. Hannah Yeoh emphasized that the decision is final, and no additional appeals will be entertained, ensuring sufficient preparation time for the Games scheduled from August 15 to 24, 2026, in Selangor.
The meeting also approved the official participation of the Brunei Darussalam contingent in SUKMA 2026, while the number of sports they will participate in will be determined by a special technical committee. Furthermore, the State Youth and Sports Exco meeting agreed that state participation for the Para SUKMA would be managed by state sports councils from 2026, focusing on more strategic and targeted preparation for para athletes.
Yeoh highlighted the need for continued development of women's sports, addressing the shortage of female athletes and technical officials in SUKMA 2024 in Sarawak. The meeting decided that participation of different genders would be compulsory for every open event. For Olympic sports, they will be held as per previous SUKMA regulations, even if the minimum requirement of women athletes from six states is not met.
To further support women's involvement, each state contingent is required to appoint a woman as head or deputy head of the contingent and maintain a 20 percent quota for female support officials in secretariat and medical roles starting from SUKMA 2026. Additionally, Selangor SUKMA will see at least 30 percent female volunteers and 20 percent female tournament technical officials.
Yeoh expressed her belief that this inclusive approach would mark a significant departure in the organization of SUKMA, offering a more diverse platform for female athletes and officials, and setting a new precedent for future games.