By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Jan 30: Sarawak will host the sixth edition of the Special Olympics Malaysia (SOM) National Games 2026, with about 778 participants expected in Bintulu.
Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the opening ceremony will be held on April 25, followed by the closing ceremony on April 26.
“I would like to inform you that Sarawak has been selected as the host for the sixth SOM, with Bintulu chosen as the venue,” she told reporters at Baitul Makmur II in Petra Jaya here today.
She added that the Special Olympics Bintulu Chapter plays a key role in organising the Games.
Fatimah said eight sports will be contested, namely track and field, swimming, bocce, table tennis, badminton, bowling, unified football, and basketball.
“As we are unable to hold the Games in Kuching due to ongoing preparations for the ASEAN Games, Bintulu has facilities that are sufficient to accommodate all eight sports,” she said.
According to her, 11 states and federal territories will take part in the Games, namely Sarawak, Sabah, Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Pahang, the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Fatimah said Sarawak will field the largest contingent, comprising 248 athletes, and stressed that Special Olympics places greater emphasis on participation rather than medals.
“In Special Olympics, the emphasis is on participation. As stated in its tagline, ‘Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt’.
“Therefore, what is emphasised is not so much the number of medals, but participation,” she added.
She also highlighted the importance of the Healthy Athletes Programme, which will be held alongside the Games.
“The Healthy Athletes Programme provides opportunities for our athletes to undergo health screenings,” she said.
The programme will offer free screenings, including blood pressure, dental, eyesight, hearing, and muscle checks, with support from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Bintulu Divisional Health Department (PKD Bintulu), volunteers, and SEGi College.
Fatimah emphasised that SOM is more than a sporting event, serving as a national platform to promote inclusion, excellence, and community engagement among athletes with intellectual disabilities.
She said Sarawak’s main objective as host is to provide athletes with the widest possible opportunity to participate.
“Everyone wants to be a winner. But in Special Olympics, by participating, they are already winners,” she said. — DayakDaily
