The Malaysia Games (SUKMA), Malaysia’s largest and most prestigious youth athlete multi-sport tournament, is heading back to Selangor for the first time in almost 30 years. And expectations have never been higher.
From 15 to 24 August 2026, over 10,000 athletes and officials will come together in the nation's sporting heartland for a ten-day celebration of raw talent, fierce athletic competition, and national pride.
With a record-breaking 37 sports and nearly 470 medal events, SUKMA Selangor 2026 promises to be the biggest in history.1 Here is everything you need to know.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 15–24, 2026 |
| Host state | Selangor |
| Para SUKMA | September 5–14, 2026 |
| Total sports | 37 |
| Total events | 469 |
| Venues | 52 across 9 districts |
| Contingents | 15 (including Brunei Darussalam) |
| Budget | RM40–50 million |
| Broadcasters | Media Selangor, Astro, TVS, SGTV, ARQIVA UK |
SUKMA 2026 Schedule and Key Dates
SUKMA 2026 will officially run from August 15 to 24, 2026, with competitions and ceremonies spread across Selangor. Over 10,000 athletes and officials from 15 contingents, including a delegation from Brunei Darussalam, will compete across the state.
The opening ceremony was supposed to take place at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). However, following recent cost-saving measures decreed by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, SUKMA events will be scaled down to keep costs in check.
Originally budgeted at RM100 million, SUKMA 2026 will now cost between RM40 million and RM50 million. Most cuts involve ceremonial events:
- The opening ceremony has moved from the SIC to a smaller venue
- Both opening and closing ceremonies will be moderate and symbolic in scale
- Volunteer numbers reduced from 30,000 to under 5,000
- No new infrastructure construction
As part of the cost-saving measures, there will be no dedicated Sports Village for SUKMA 2026 in Selangor.
“Every athlete will be given a subsidy of RM100 a day… state (management) will arrange their athlete accommodation at selected places on their own,” said Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.
- Budget: RM100 million
- Opening ceremony at Sepang International Circuit
- 30,000 volunteers
- Dedicated Sports Village for athletes
- 474 events across 37 sports
- Budget: RM40–50 million
- Opening ceremony at a smaller venue
- Under 5,000 volunteers
- RM100/day subsidy; states arrange own accommodation
- 469 events across 37 sports
The closing ceremony is scheduled for the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium. Here are the key phases to mark on your calendar for SUKMA 2026:
- Opening ceremony on August 15, 2026
- Competition days from August 16 to 23, 2026
- Closing ceremony on August 24, 2026
If you are following athletes with disabilities, Para SUKMA 2026 will take place separately from September 5 to 14, 2026.
Why Is Selangor Hosting SUKMA 2026?
In July 2024, Selangor officially offered to host the 2026 Malaysia Games. The last time Selangor hosted was in 1998. Hosting again after 28 years is in line with the state government's desire to improve sports performance, according to Mohd Najwan Halimi, Selangor Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman.
Mario Klassen from Unsplash
Selangor wanted to step in because it has the budget and the facilities to make sure SUKMA 2026 is the best it can be. This includes:
- Shah Alam Stadium. Still undergoing redevelopment, the iconic venue is fully expected to anchor major events.
- MSN Bukit Jalil. The National Sports Council's (NSC) athletics facilities are practically in Selangor's backyard.
- Sepang International Circuit (SIC). Even though it has been replaced with another venue, the SIC is a world-class circuit that has hosted Formula 1 and MotoGP.
The SUKMA Supreme Committee, chaired by then Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, unanimously approved Selangor's offer to host the 2026 edition.
Which Events Will Be Featured in SUKMA 2026?
While SUKMA XXII Selangor 2026 was originally planned for 474 events across 37 sports, the official count has changed. Rhythmic swimming was dropped in May 2026 after fewer than six states registered for the event, the minimum required under competition rules.
This brings the final tally to 469 events across the same 37 sports. Here is the full list of SUKMA sports for 2026:
| Category | Sports |
|---|---|
| Aquatics | Swimming, diving, water polo |
| Athletics | Track and field, marathon, race walking |
| Racquet sports | Badminton, squash, table tennis, tennis |
| Martial arts | Pencak silat, taekwondo, karate, wushu (taolu and sanda), muay thai, silambam, judo, boxing |
| Precision and strategy sports | Archery, shooting, tenpin bowling, chess, e-sport, petanque, lawn bowl |
| Cycling | Track, road, mountain bike (MTB), BMX |
| Gymnastics | Artistic, rhythmic |
| Weight sports | Weightlifting |
| Traditional sports | Sepak takraw, kabaddi, rugby, softball, sailing, golf, cricket, pickleball |
| Team ball sports | Football, hockey, basketball (5×5 and 3×3), volleyball (indoor and beach), handball, netball, futsal |
All events will take place across 52 venues in nine districts of Selangor, under the jurisdiction of 12 local authorities. The one exception is track cycling, which will be held at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
Will There Be Any New or Returning Sports?
In August 2025, the SUKMA Supreme Council officially approved four new sports for the 2026 edition:
- E-sports
- Chess
- Cricket
- Kabaddi
The council also confirmed that boxing and softball would become mandatory sports effective from SUKMA 2026, meaning all 15 state contingents have to field teams. This raises the competitive stakes across the board.
Pickleball wasn’t approved by the council because not all states have been widely exposed to the sport. Only a handful, like Selangor, Sarawak, Perak, and Penang, currently have the necessary infrastructure to train athletes for it, according to Mohd Najwan Halimi.
However, the Selangor state government announced that pickleball may debut as a medal event in SUKMA 2026 because of its viral popularity among Malaysian youth. Chinese chess (Xiangqi) was also considered for demonstration status.
What to Expect at SUKMA 2026
SUKMA has always been Malaysia’s most reliable talent factory. Long before they wore the Harimau Malaya jersey or represented the nation at the SEA Games, most of Malaysia’s household names cut their teeth at these very Games.
What makes this year’s buildup genuinely exciting is the sheer volume of youth sports talent making themselves known through early 2026 trials:
- In Kuching, the Sarawak Badminton Association stress-tested 113 shuttlers, with coaches looking for youth athletes with the potential to develop over time.
- Over in Sri Aman, forty petanque players are battling for a spot on Sarawak’s precision-sports squad. Only 20 will be chosen, ten men and ten women.
- The Federal Territory’s BAKAT FT-FDP fencing programme is already grooming its next wave of swordsmen and women for the Selangor stage.
State rivalries are also coming into play. Selangor, the historical powerhouse with over 800 all-time gold medals, is reportedly chasing an ambitious target of 80 gold medals on home soil. They’re looking to score high in gymnastics and karate.
Sasha Alyssa Philip, the reigning Selangor Sports Championship (SUKSES) Sportswoman of the Year, has also openly declared her intent to break SUKMA records in discus throw, shot put, and javelin. The 16-year-old claimed three golds and three Selangor records at SUKSES.
The Selangor women's rugby team is also looking to defend its gold medal after defeating hosts Sarawak 12-7 in the 2024 final. That victory was Selangor's first-ever SUKMA gold in women's rugby.
Perlis has publicly targeted 20 gold medals, likely drawn from their strength in precision sports like shooting and archery. Sabah and Sarawak continue to dominate athletics and aquatics, with trial footage from Kota Kinabalu already hinting at explosive sprint and middle-distance talent.
How to Watch and Follow SUKMA 2026
A consortium of five media companies will act as official broadcasters for SUKMA 2026. They include:
- Media Selangor
- Astro
- TV Sarawak (TVS)
- SGTV
- ARQIVA UK
When I'm watching sports I can't be bothered.
Jeremy Hotz
This is the first sports broadcasting model of its kind in SUKMA history. The collaboration is expected to increase SUKMA's reach to audiences across Malaysia and at the international level.
Media Selangor has been appointed as the official digital platform for SUKMA 2026. They are responsible for producing live streams of events, match highlights, news coverage, updates, and interactive content across all official channels.
For this edition, a national broadcasting centre (NBC) will be set up at Dewan Raja Muda Musa in Shah Alam as the hub for official coverage. Additional media centres will be set up at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and in Klang to ensure smooth coverage across all venues.
All events will be broadcast either live or via highlights and news segments, following international broadcasting standards similar to the SEA Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.
Represent Your State at SUKMA With Superprof
SUKMA 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable editions in the Games' history. With 37 sports, 469 events, and 10 days of competition from August 15 to 24, 2026, Selangor is ready to welcome the nation's best youth athletes.
If you are a youth athlete looking to one day represent your state at SUKMA, the journey starts long before you step onto the competition floor. It starts with proper coaching, consistent training, and the right guidance.
At Superprof, we connect aspiring athletes with experienced coaches who understand the pathway to state and national-level competition. They've taken raw talent and shaped it into competition-ready performance, and they can help you, too.
Find a coach on Superprof Malaysia today and take the first step toward representing your state.
References
- Rhythmic swimming dropped from Sukma 2026 over low entries. (2026, May 10). The Sun Malaysia. https://thesun.my/sports/rhythmic-swimming-dropped-from-sukma-2026-over-low-entries/
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