KUALA LUMPUR – With the Youth and Sports Ministry’s interest in hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, questions have arisen within the sports fraternity regarding the government’s consideration of offering to host the quadrennial event amid the country’s current economic and sporting landscape.
It was reported that minister Hannah Yeoh said the cabinet would discuss and decide in the days to come after thoroughly going through the study results presented on the aspects of organising the event.
The last time Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games was back in 1998, where the contingent finished fourth in the medals table with 36 medals (10 golds, 14 silvers and 12 bronzes).
In 1998, it was reported that the Malaysian government, under the leadership of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, spent more than RM1.029 billion on the Commonwealth Games.
The total bill, including the provision of new roads, railways, land acquisitions and other facilities, plus the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport, came to nearly US$5 billion (RM23.4 billion).
Speaking to Scoop, sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustaffa said that the current government’s decision to even consider hosting the Commonwealth Games was absurd, citing that it would not have the budget to upgrade the existing facilities across the country.
For now, Malaysia has guaranteed its spot to host the 2027 SEA Games, set to be held in Kuala Lumpur.
Sadek also said that the athletes’ performance would be affected as they would not have the time needed to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.
“In my opinion, this is something that doesn’t make any sense. Aside from our facilities for diving, athletics and archery, most of our facilities across the country need to be upgraded, and it’s not going to be cheap; it’s going to cost the government billions of ringgit.
“Where is the government going to get the money? The government needs to understand that they also need to host the SEA Games in 2027; hence, they need to set their priorities right.
“The last time Malaysia hosted the games in 1998, then sports ministers Tan Sri Annuar Musa (1990-1993), Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Othman (1993-1995) and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (1995-1999) worked with a six-year plan to ensure that the athletes are ready for the event, and that’s the reason why we managed to win 10 gold medals.
“The current sports minister should not just show interest in hosting the games for her political mileage but should do proper planning; otherwise, our athletes will suffer, and they will be humiliated in the games due to a lack of preparation.
“Let’s assume that even if the government and the sports ministry are showing interest so that the Commonwealth Games can boost our sports tourism revenue; it doesn’t make sense as well as we don’t have many active sports competitions coming in and out of the country like countries like Qatar. Hence, the plan and the interest shown in hosting the Commonwealth Games should be dropped,” said Sadek.
For context, Qatar has a total of 85 sports events (approximately one every 4.5 days) on its calendar this year. Notably, 15 of these events are major international championships.
Meanwhile, another local sports observer, Datuk Pekan Ramli, echoed a similar sentiment, saying that the success of the 1998 Commonwealth Games could never be emulated if the government decided to rush its process in hosting the games two years from now.
“Our ability as organisers of international sports events should not be questioned. This is a capability we have proven before.
“However, the responsibility this time feels like a leap into the unknown, with less than two years to prepare. When we hosted the 1998 Commonwealths, we were ready about five or six years in advance. It wasn’t just about preparing as hosts; we also had extensive preparations for our athletes through the Jaya 98 project. In the end, we secured 10 gold medals, a remarkable achievement at the Commonwealth Games.
“The long preparation period allowed the entire nation to unite, and the Malaysian spirit was evident in our enthusiasm for the Commonwealth Games. However, with this short time frame, factors such as those experienced during KL 98 may not be felt.
“Nevertheless, we may still be hailed as heroes by the Commonwealth Games Federation for stepping in to save the event this time,” said Pekan when contacted.
The fate of the 2026 Commonwealth Games remains in question after the Australian state Victoria, which was due to host, pulled out in July last year due to increased hosting costs from the initial expectation of A$2.6 billion (about RM8.09 billion) to A$7 billion.
Victoria’s government also reportedly agreed to pay A$380 million for a breach of contract for failing to host the games as scheduled from March 17-29, 2026.
Of the 74 countries and territories that are members of the Commonwealth Games Federation, only England, Canada, Australia, Wales, New Zealand, Jamaica, Scotland, India and Malaysia (1998) have hosted the Games. – March 9, 2024