Malaysia to Lose 16 Medals at 2026 Commonwealth Games, Youth and Sports Minister Warns
Government Respects Organiser’s Decision, Focus on Other Medal-Potential Sports
KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh expects Malaysia to lose 16 medals after some of the country’s medal potential sports were dropped from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland from July 23-Aug 3. She, however, said Malaysia still had other events that could be focused on to strike gold at the quadrennial Games.
Respecting the Organiser’s Decision
She added that Malaysia respects the organiser’s decision to pick whichever sports it wanted to be contested at the prestigious multi-sports Games. "After yesterday’s announcement, a preliminary forecast shows that Malaysia will lose 16 medals from the dropped sports. But we respect (the organiser’s decision). This is the prerogative of the organiser, every organiser is given the flexibility to choose the sports."
Focus on Medal-Potential Sports
"But we have sports with potential (of winning medals) like weightlifting and lawn bowls, so we do have the advantage," she told a media conference at the launch of the 2024 ISNext Programme at the National Sports Institute (NSI) here today.
2026 Commonwealth Games to Feature 10 Sports
Yesterday, the Commonwealth Sports Federation (CGF) confirmed Glasgow as the host city of the 2026 Commonwealth Games after Malaysia rejected the offer to replace the Australian state of Victoria, which was the original host. However, only 10 sports will be contested across four venues within a 12.8-kilometre radius, compared with 19 sports during the 2022 edition in Birmingham, England. About 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth countries and territories are set to compete in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
List of Sports for 2026 Commonwealth Games
The sports listed for the 2026 Commonwealth Games are:
- Athletics and para-athletics
- Swimming and para-swimming
- Artistic gymnastics
- Track cycling and para track cycling
- Netball, weightlifting and para powerlifting
- Boxing, judo, lawn bowls and para lawn bowls
- 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball
Sports Dropped from 2026 Commonwealth Games
Diving, archery, badminton, T20 cricket, hockey, rowing, rugby Sevens, and squash are among the sports that won’t be contested in the 2026 edition.
2024 ISNext Programme Launched
Hannah today officiated the launch of the National Sports Institute (NSI)-organised 2024 ISNext programme, which is a strategic collaboration to provide service, research, and expertise centres at the state and regional levels. "For example, when we have a satellite centre in collaboration with universities in Sabah, injured athletes there need not travel here (to Kuala Lumpur) to seek treatment and this is not just for national athletes but also state athletes.
Conclusion
While Malaysia may lose 16 medals due to the dropping of certain sports, the country still has opportunities to excel in other events. With a focus on medal-potential sports like weightlifting and lawn bowls, Malaysia can still achieve success in the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The 2024 ISNext programme, launched by Hannah, aims to provide service, research, and expertise centres at the state and regional levels, demonstrating the government’s commitment to supporting athletes and sports development.
FAQs
Q: How many medals does Malaysia expect to lose due to the dropping of certain sports from the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
A: 16 medals.
Q: What are the 10 sports that will be contested in the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
A: See the list above.
Q: What is the 2024 ISNext programme?
A: It is a strategic collaboration to provide service, research, and expertise centres at the state and regional levels.
Q: What are the dropped sports from the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
A: See the list above.