JOHOR BAHRU: Johor is targeting a top-three placing in the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor, said Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah.
“I have asked all state sports associations to make early preparations, as instructed by the state government. We need be set an example for other states in terms of the development of athletes and sports hubs.
“I have set the target, which is the top three... but if we end up as overall champions, that will be a bonus,” he told reporters at the Larkin state constituency ‘Ibadah Korban Perdana’ programmehere today.
He said this when asked to comment on Johor’s preparations for Selangor SUKMA, which is expected to be held in August 2026.
Johor has won the overall title at SUKMA once in the Games’ 36-year history when it bagged 77 gold medals in the 2022 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hairi said various international-class sports events are set to be held in the state, including the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament.
He reiterated Johor’s commitment to become a Sports Nation by 2030, in line with the decree of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim during the opening of the State Assembly session recently.
“Tunku Mahkota Ismail decreed that Johor should be a Sports Nation by 2030, it is quite a huge task for me and my team to place Johor, and Malaysia in general, on the world stage.
“Johor must become a state that provides the best in terms of facilities, infrastructure, athlete development and academics, thus attracting investors,” he said.
Earlier, during the ‘Ibadah Korban Perdana’ programme, a total of 32 cows donated by various parties, including from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, were slaughtered and the meat was distributed to more than 500 residents of the Larkin state constituency, especially to the asnaf group and those in need.
