Kabaddi, silambam get green light for Sukma

PUTRAJAYA – Kabaddi and silambam breathed a sigh of relief as the sports will be listed in the 2024 Malaysia Games (Sukma).

These sports were among three others included in the biennial games, which are softball, cricket, and chess. 

The decision comes after the Malaysia Games (Sukma) Supreme Committee and State Youth and Sports Development Exco Coordination Meeting, which was chaired by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh at Menara KBS here today.

“We have taken into consideration that these five sports have organised their national youth championships. 

“Most importantly, Sarawak, as the host for the 2024 edition, and the National Sports Council, as the host for the 2026 edition, has agreed to accept the entry of these five sports so that there is continuity in the development of the sports,” Yeoh said.

However, the minister added that the sports will still require the participation of a minimum of six states before they can be contested in Sukma, the same as the four sports that Sarawak has agreed to include, namely boxing, muay Thai, pétanque, and e-sports.

Yeoh added that the Sukma supreme committee had approved the selection of 28 sports for the 21st edition of the Games.

Additionally, only track cycling events will be contested in the peninsula, as the facility in Sarawak will not be ready in time for the Games.

Previously, Malaysian Kabaddi Association honorary-secretary Peter Gopi questioned why kabaddi and silambam were sidelined for the upcoming Sukma in Sarawak, in which Yeoh quashed any speculations that the sports were being marginalised.

National Sports Council director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail also laid out the selection criteria for the 21st edition of Sukma. – The Vibes, June 12, 2023