KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia must not use badminton’s absence as a reason for failing to meet its five-gold medal target at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, says sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli.
The Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) senior lecturer believes Malaysia’s progress in other disciplines has created a stronger and more balanced medal-winning base, reducing the country’s reliance on badminton as its traditional source of Commonwealth success.
Pekan said the Glasgow Games should instead serve as an opportunity for other sports to demonstrate their ability to deliver on the international stage.
“I believe the target of five gold medals is not only achievable but also a realistic one. There has been a lot of discussion about the absence of badminton, but I do not think that should become an excuse if we fall short of the target.
“For many years, badminton has carried the burden of delivering medals for Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games. Perhaps this is the right time for other sports to step up and show that they, too, are capable of producing champions on the international stage.
“We have invested significantly in athlete development across multiple sports over the years. If that investment has been effective, then this is the ideal platform for those athletes to justify the confidence placed in them and prove Malaysia has a much broader medal-winning base,” he told Scoop when contacted.
Pekan said Malaysia could even surpass its five-gold target if its leading athletes perform according to expectations in Glasgow.
He identified weightlifting as one of the country’s strongest medal prospects, following the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation’s (MWF) ambition of securing three gold medals through Mohamad Aniq Kasdan and Aznil Bidin.
Para sports, he added, are also expected to contribute significantly, with Paralympic and world champions Bonnie Bunyau Gustin and Datuk Abdul Latif Romly among Malaysia’s leading contenders.
“Bonnie is a Paralympic champion and multiple-time world champion, while Latif has consistently dominated on the world stage for years. Based on their pedigree and current form, there is every reason to expect them to deliver at the Commonwealth Games as well.
“When you look at the overall picture, the five gold medals do not have to come from one sport alone. They can come from weightlifting, para sports, cycling and several other disciplines where Malaysia has genuine medal contenders.
“If, in the end, the target is not achieved, I do not think the absence of badminton should be used as the reason. These targets are not set arbitrarily. They are based on detailed assessments of our strengths, weaknesses and realistic medal prospects. In fact, I would say the projection already includes a margin for uncertainty and unexpected setbacks.
“So the athletes and associations should approach Glasgow with confidence because, on paper, Malaysia certainly has the capability to achieve – and perhaps even exceed – the five-gold target,” he added.
At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Malaysia finished 10th in the overall medal standings with 23 medals comprising seven gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
Badminton contributed three of those seven gold medals, while the remaining titles came from weightlifting, track cycling, lawn bowls and para powerlifting.
With badminton excluded from the Glasgow 2026 programme, Pekan said the responsibility now falls on other sports to prove Malaysia’s medal ambitions are not dependent on a single discipline. – July 21, 2026