PETALING JAYA: The minimum participation requirement for sports events contested in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) will be reviewed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and the National Sports Council (MSN), said Minister Hannah Yeoh.

Hannah said that the move aims to allow sports events to be contested even if they do not receive participation from at least six states, which is the current requirement.

She noted that by amending the minimum participation requirement, more athletes would have the opportunity to gain competitive experience, thereby facilitating the process of identifying and nurturing national athlete successors.

“We want to create more athletes by looking at grassroots programmes and reviewing the Sukma structure. Currently, if six states want to participate in a particular sport, only then can it be organised in Sukma. Such a rule is not conducive to the development of that sport.

“I will look at the Sukma structure comprehensively. The reform and review of this issue will be overseen b
y MSN board member S. Suriaghandi,” she told reporters at a sports programme for the elderly here today.

Sukma 2024 will be held in Sarawak from August 17-24.

Earlier, Hannah had visited the Buddhist Association in Petaling Jaya, which organised sports activities for the elderly in the local community.

“They have arranged sports programmes and activities for the elderly. This is not a one-off activity because they already have facilities and hold table tennis competitions and several sports events aimed at helping the elderly stay active, not just physically but also mentally.

“I encourage places of worship across Malaysia to organise sports activities for the elderly within their premises. To support their efforts, I have allocated RM10,000 for them to organise more competitions,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency