By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Jan 7: Sarawak is ready to face the real test at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) XXII 2026 in Selangor this August, confirming its participation across all 37 sports categories.
Minister of Youth, Sports And Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said defending the SUKMA title away from home will be the true measure of Sarawak’s strength.
“Indeed, every participating state has high hopes, especially the host state and the defending champion.
“Sarawak is the defending champion, but we are fully aware that we won the title by a very narrow margin,” he said when speaking to reporters during the torch handover ceremony and press conference for SUKMA XXII 2026 at Bangunan Baitulmakmur II, Petra Jaya, today.
He said Selangor, as host, will be a strong challenger and is expected to field the largest contingent, noting that the state has historically been a dominant force in SUKMA.
Despite this, Karim, who is also Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development said Sarawak will send one of its biggest contingents and will be fully prepared for the games.
He also expressed appreciation for the early visit by the Selangor delegation, describing it as part of SUKMA’s tradition to strengthen cooperation and coordination ahead of the games.
Karim recalled the words of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the closing ceremony of the previous SUKMA.
“The real test is the next one. You won on home ground but when you go away from home, that will be the real test.
“Whether Sarawak can defend the title this year, if we are able to do so, only then can we truly be called champions,” he said.
The Selangor delegation was led by Selangor State Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Exco Mohd Najwan Halimi, Deputy State Secretary of Selangor and SUKMA XXII chief executive officer Dato Mohd Yazid Sairi, Operations officer Mohd Nizam Marjugi, Senior Secretary Mohd Akif Ruzaini Ab Ghofar, Operations Senior Director Mazurah Mohamed, and Sports and Events director Ahmad Fahim Rosli.
— DayakDaily
