PETALING JAYA: The decision to host the Commonwealth Games needs to be discussed among various parties, said Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong yesterday, while welcoming the recent offer of Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari to do the same.
“We welcome all proposals to develop sports in the country but we need to look at many aspects such as capability and infrastructure. It (hosting of Commonwealth Games) is not a decision to be made by one party or unilaterally but needs the involvement of many parties, particularly the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM),” he said.
Sim who had been asked by reporters to comment on Amirudin’s offer to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, added that Malaysia certainly had sufficient experience to host a major competition after its successful hosting of the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Malaysia has also hosted the SEA Games six times, the last occasion being in 2017.
In February 2018, then OCM president Tunku Tan Sri Imran had ruled out any bid to host the games due to the high expenses involved.
However, last week, current OCM president Datuk Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, welcomed Amirudin’s idea.
“For OCM, we will see how we can assist Selangor in fulfilling those dreams and hopes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sim also expressed the belief that a hybrid of e-sports and physical sports would be a future avenue through which individuals could gain skills and learn about the techniques of a physical sport through e-sports, before advancing to become athletes of physical sports. — Bernama
