01/05/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | MAY 1, 2026

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T HE Selangor government will implement cost-saving meas ures by reducing almost half of the original cost of hosting the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma), sched uled to be held from Aug 15-24. State Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Committee chair man Mohd Najwan Halimi said the original allocation of RM100 million would be reduced to around RM40 to RM50 million. He said the move was taken in line with the decree of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who gave his consent for the Games to proceed with cost-saving measures and prudent spending. “Given the current situation, we are trying to reduce almost half of the origi nal cost. So, it is likely to be in the range of RM40 million to RM50 million, and we are currently working out the figures for the reduction.

Selangor tightens purse Cost-saving push halves original RM100m allocation while maintaining hosting plans

expressed his appreciation to the Sultan of Selangor for consenting to proceed with Sukma 2026 for the devel opment of athletes and national sports. Previously, Sultan Sharafuddin decreed that the Games be postponed following the ongoing crisis in West Asia and until the redevelopment of the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed. However, His Royal Highness gave his consent for the biennial Games to proceed in a prudent manner after granting an audience to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. – Bernama

Games,” he said. Meanwhile, he said that so far the state government will bear the cost of organising the Games, while discus sions are underway with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) regarding the need to share facilities. According to him, several infra structure previously planned for rental may be replaced by using facilities owned by the National Sports Council (NSC). Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, who chaired yesterday’s meeting,

the initial target of 30,000 to under 5,000, while existing sports facilities will be fully utilised without involving the construction of new infrastructure. Despite the budget cuts, he assured that the technical aspects and quality of competition will not be affected to ensure athletes can perform at their highest level. “In terms of competition and tech nical aspects, we will implement them according to the stipulated standards and regulations. We do not want the cost-cutting measures to become a rea son for us to lower the standards of the

“So, many of the cuts involve cere monial events, we are scaling them down…,” he told a press conference after the 2026 Sukma Supreme Committee meeting at Menara KBS yesterday. Mohd Najwan said that the Sukma 2026 opening ceremony, scheduled to be held at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), and the closing ceremony will still be held, but on a smaller, more symbolic scale to avoid waste. In addition to ceremonial events, cost reductions will also involve scaling down the number of volunteers from

THE Malaysian Football League (MFL) is targeting the issue of salary arrears involving Malaysia League (M-League) clubs to be resolved within the next two seasons through the implementation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. MFL president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said the FFP framework, fully enforced for the first time this season, has shown positive progress but requires sustained commitment from all clubs to ensure its effectiveness. He noted that FFP now offers a clearer picture of clubs’ financial positions, with average revenues beginning to exceed expenditure. “All clubs are urged to remain committed to the target to be achieved within two more seasons. “By the third season (2027–2028), no club should face salary payment issues. They will also be able to reduce other liabilities,” he told reporters after an MFL roundtable discussion with M-League club rep resentatives yesterday. Ab Ghani said that monitoring of FFP compliance will also be strengthened through more frequent reviews to ensure optimal adherence. “Under current procedures, reviews are con ducted quarterly, but I have requested that monitor ing be carried out monthly,” he said. The roundtable discussion followed calls from several clubs for a formal platform to address critical issues, including governance, finances and the league’s direction amid ongoing challenges. Recurring concerns raised include delays in sal ary payments to players and team officials by certain clubs, as well as rising operational costs that con tinue to burden many teams. The roundtable discussion also saw a surprise appearance by the Regent of Johor, His Royal Highness Tunku Mahkota Ismail, owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), who also shared his views and emphasised several fundamental issues requiring serious attention, including grassroots develop ment, refereeing standards, sponsorship and finan cial discipline among clubs. In a related development, Ab Ghani said MFL and its league partners will review Tunku Mahkota Ismail’s proposed model to “return football to the people”, restoring the true spirit of the sport as a community-driven game.” – Bernama MFL cracks down on salary chaos

SHORTS Azizulhasni honoured

NATIONAL track cycling legend Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang has received the “Book of World Records” recognition from The BrandLaureate – a prestigious award in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region created to honour excellence in branding and brand development. The Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF), in a statement yesterday, said that Azizulhasni, nicknamed the “Pocket Rocketman”, received the recognition recently after winning the keirin gold and individual sprint silver at the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. “The MNCF would like to congratulate Datuk Azizulhasni on receiving the ‘Book of World Records’ award from The BrandLaureate. The MNCF greatly appreciate this achievement. Congratulations, Datuk Azizulhasni,” said MNCF president Datuk Amarjit Singh in the same state ment. Meanwhile, the MNCF also received a special award from The BrandLaureate for their contribu tions to promoting cycling and positioning Malaysia as a leading brand on the global sports map. Earlier, Azizulhasni received the award at a leading hotel here from Tan Sri Dzulkefly Ahmad, the former Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). In 2024, Azizulhasni received the “Sport Icon Awards” from The BrandLaureate. TFC reshuffle INJURIES suffered by three key players have forced Terengganu FC into a lineup reshuffle ahead of their Malaysia Super League clash with Kuching City FC at the Sarawak State Stadium tonight. Acting head coach Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan confirmed that defender Muhammad Azam Azmi Murad, midfielder Kyaw Min Oo and forward Gervane Kastaneer are all ruled out after picking up injuries in the recent match against Negeri Sembilan FC. “Azam has a knee injury, Kyaw an ankle prob lem and Kastaneer a hamstring strain. Their absence will affect our setup, so we need to make some adjustments.

National track cycling champion Datuk Azizulhasni Awang

celebrates his victory after winning the Men’s Keirin Final at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan on April 25. – BERNAMAPIC

“Still, the players must stay focused and follow the game plan. Playing away to a strong side means we have to absorb pressure well and stay competitive to avoid dropping points,” he said during the team’s training at Gong Badak Sports Complex. Meanwhile, Hishamuddin Abdul Karim, presi dent of the Terengganu FA, called for improved refereeing standards in the Super League to pre vent controversies that could damage the sport’s reputation. He said the disallowed goal in TFC’s previous match was not an isolated case, pointing to recur ring concerns over officiating quality. Kuching City sit third with 44 points from 21 matches, while Terengganu are fifth with 33 points from 21 games. Tasha’s bold Olympic gamble MALAYSIAN athlete Tasha Mae has announced that she is switching from beach volleyball to rowing in a bold move to pursue her dream of becoming an Olympian.

Tasha said she made the decision after realis ing that the sport she has loved since childhood may no longer be the route to the Olympic stage. The switch, she said, was entirely her own choice and not a reflection of any problem within the sport. “It broke my heart when I finally opened my eyes and realised that although volleyball has brought me this far in life, it may not be the vehi cle to get me there (Olympic Games) anymore. “I just want you to know that this decision has nothing to do with people in the volleyball world. I’m extremely grateful for Malaysia volley ball and everything they have done for me, and this was purely my own decision,” she said in a recent video shared on Instagram .\ Tasha said her journey in rowing began in January this year, and that the warm welcome and proper support from the rowing community had made a major difference in her transition. She also revealed that she recently competed in her first international regatta and returned home with medals.

Talent development gap widens, associations under fire

THE Malaysian Malay’s Football Association (PBMM) is urging football associations across the country to return their focus to the serious agenda of grassroots player development. Its President, Mohd Firdaus Mohamed said that the current heavy reliance on state sports schools and the National Football Development Programme (NFDP) is concerning, as it may hinder the effort to discover new talent on a broader scale. He emphasised that, fundamentally,

who aren’t. As such, we have to start from the bottom again to ensure the continuity of this talent. “I also praise the efforts of organising specific cups (tournaments) introduced this year to unearth talent. We hope all parties can unite to ensure what is planned yields results,” he added. Earlier, PBMM sent their “young talent” (youth players) for the Under-12 (U-12), U-15, and U-16 categories to participate in the NFDP National Youth League for the first time. – Bernama

added value, but our main focus is finding talent. Sometimes, great talent isn’t necessarily born in existing sports schools or academies, but might be hidden at the daily school level,” he said. In the same vein, Mohd Firdaus expressed disappointment toward a handful of football associations alleged to be taking development lightly, thereby failing their primary function of producing new talent. “There may be some associations doing their job, but there are also those

these talents are found,” he said after officiating the Launch of PBMM’s Participation in the 2026 NFDP National Youth League yesterday. Mohd Firdaus, who is also a former Vice President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), did not deny the positive impact contributed by sports schools and the NFDP, but believes the medium for talent scouting should not be limited to those channels alone. “The existence of these sports schools is indeed good and provides

the responsibility of scouting talent should have been shouldered by football associations for a long time, rather than solely depending on the existing ecosystem. “We cannot establish a premise that to represent the country, a player must only come from a state sports school or the NFDP. “Instead, we need to go out and engage with primary and secondary schools. This is what we must do now – ‘digging’ as deep as possible to ensure