SUKMA 2024: Sarawak Passes Litmus Test To Take On SEA Games Challenge

By Vikneswaran Raman

KUCHING, Aug 25 (Bernama) -- Sarawak’s success in organising the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA), hailed by many as one of the best in the past 38 years, proves that the state deserves to host international-level competitions.

As such, it wasn’t a surprise when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Federal government has agreed for Sarawak to co-host the 2027 SEA Games.

The smooth running of SUKMA 2024, minus any major incidents, and the grand opening and closing ceremonies also showed Sarawak’s capability to make the biggest Southeast Asia multi-sports Games a success in 2027.

SUKMA 2024 chief executive officer Datuk Hii Chang Kee said SUKMA is the best platform for all 25 committees involved to get expertise and gain experience to host bigger events in the future, including the SEA Games.

“We are happy and satisfied with the overall hosting of SUKMA. Everything went smoothly from day one, despite some hiccups in terms of accommodation, food and transportation, especially during the first few days, but we managed to resolve them. 

“There was a minor incident in silat (a ban on spectators for a day after a water bottle was thrown into the arena) but, thankfully, it was under control and the next day the venue was reopened with tighter security following public requests,” he told Bernama. 

He said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah were also pleased with the way the 21st edition of SUKMA was run.

Hii said the weather conditions gave the organisers an unexpected headache when heavy rain forced several events, like archery and the women’s football final, to be delayed or postponed, because the rainfall for June to September in the state was usually low.

With three years left for the 2027 SEA Games, Sarawak needs to upgrade several venues and facilities to be fully prepared to host the biennial Games.

Sarawak has hosted SUKMA, held for the first time in 1986 in Kuala Lumpur, twice before in 1990 and 2016.

Although there are proposals for the 21-year-old age limit in SUKMA to be abolished to pave the way for the participation of senior athletes, the Games should remain a platform to unearth new talent and allow these young athletes to progress to the next level.

This is a necessity considering that 161 of the 488 medals were won by athletes under the national backup and podium programmes.

SUKMA 2024 also saw seven national records set, three in weightlifting, swimming (two), athletics (one) and archery (one).

Sarawak also created history by organising the biggest-ever SUKMA, offering the most gold medals - 488 golds in 37 sports - and involving competition venues in nine divisions.

An interesting feature of SUKMA 2024 was that traditional sports like wushu, silambam and kabbadi, which were previously participated by one race, saw the participation of athletes from other ethnic groups, thus strengthening the spirit of unity among the people and the openness to accepting new sports.

SUKMA 2024, which ended yesterday, saw hosts Sarawak crowned overall champions for the fourth time with a medal haul of 76 golds, 55 silvers and 70 bronzes. Sarawak had also come out tops in the 1990, 1992 and 1994 editions.

The Federal Territories, who gave the hosts a run for their money until the very last day, ended up as overall runners-up with a haul of 75-65-72, followed by Selangor (56-64-61), Penang (41-45-52) and Terengganu (41-36-47). 

-- BERNAMA