Grand occasion: The colourful opening ceremony of the 1998 Commonwealth Games hosted by Malaysia.
PETALING JAYA: We respect the decision.
That was the consensus of the majority in the Malaysian sports fraternity after the government announced that they have declined the offer to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The decision has been conveyed to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). They were willing to give RM603mil subsidy for Malaysia to organise it after the original hosts Australia pulled out due to escalating costs.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria and secretary general Datuk Nazifuddin Najib had believed that hosting it would be beneficial to sports development and also the economy.
But Norza has come out and said that he respected the decision made by the Malaysian Cabinet.
“OCM wish to express our gratitude to the Malaysian government, particularly the Youth and Sports Ministry for giving due consideration to the offer made by CGF,” said Norza.
“After taking into account the financial implication and all aspects of the organisation of the Games, we wholeheartedly understand the government’s decision to prioritise the needs of the people.”
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the government decided after examining all aspects of the organisation and its implications.
She said the monetary offer from CGF was not enough to cover the entire cost of the games and they cannot identify the economic impact of the games.
Former national hurdler Noraseela Mohd Khalid, who competed in the 2006 Melbourne Games and finished sixth, said the decision was taken after considering all other factors.
“The government knows what is the best decision to make at this point in time. I’m sure they have considered all possible options to host the Games in Malaysia,” she said.
“Our athletes now need to uplift their performances at the 2026 Games, be it on our home soil or elsewhere. With the right system in place and the athletes’ own willpower to succeed, I’m sure they will,” she said.
Former national diver and 2006 Melbourne Games silver medallist Bryan Nickson Lomas supported the call too.
“I’m with the government’s decision not to host the 2026 Games because of the cost,” said Bryan, who also won two bronze medals in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.
“I don’t know much about organising major competitions but a country needs at least a solid four years to prepare.”
But former national hockey captain and 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi felt that Malaysia has missed out on a good chance to host the Games as it would have helped sports development.
“I believe we could have prepared well in two years. Not only would we have planned for athlete’s development for the 2026 games, but it would have helped in preparing the athletes for the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and also the Nagoya Asian Games in 2026,” he said.
“Economically, people would have benefited. It would have been a boost for sports tourism too.
“It would be nice to have it again but we have to respect the decision made by the Cabinet. They took into account the current economic situation and also the sentiment of the people,” he concluded.
