By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, July 14: With just one month left before the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2026, Sarawak is stepping up preparations as the defending champions aim to retain the overall title in Selangor.
Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said preparations are progressing well, with confidence placed in the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC), Chef de Mission Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, and the respective sports associations to lead the contingent.
“Alhamdulillah, Sukma is just one month away, and our preparations are going well. We do not want to claim that we are perfect, but as the defending champions, we have to be well prepared,” he said after the Borneo Raft Safari League 2026 press conference at Baitul Makmur II here today.
Abdul Karim said some Sarawak athletes are still undergoing final preparations overseas before heading to Selangor next month.
He added Sarawak is targeting to repeat its championship-winning performance, although the challenge will be tougher as Selangor, the host state, has won Sukma the most number of times.
He added that the biggest challenge for this year’s Sukma would be logistics, as events will be spread across nine districts in Selangor, except cycling, which will be held in Negeri Sembilan.
Unlike previous editions held at a central location, athletes will be stationed according to the districts where their events are taking place, making effective coordination key to ensuring all logistical arrangements are in place.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said discussions are still ongoing with AirBorneo on the possibility of chartering flights to transport Sarawak athletes to Selangor.
“However, AirBorneo does not have many aircraft at the moment, so we cannot bring all athletes and officials using AirBorneo alone. We will have to use other airlines as well,” he said.
On incentives for medal winners, Abdul Karim said Sarawak would not forget its athletes but stressed that winning for the State should remain their main motivation.
“We do not want athletes competing while only thinking about money. They should win for Sarawak, feel proud and experience the satisfaction of achieving victory,” he said. — DayakDaily
