For the forthcoming 22nd Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor, Johor has set a lofty goal – to stay in the top three states overall.
Johor will send over 1,000 athletes and officials to the Games, according to Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, chairman of the State Youth and Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee.
689 athletes from Johor will compete in 379 events across 37 sports at SUKMA, which is set for 15th to 24th August. They will be assisted by 150 coaches and 48 team managers. In addition, the state hopes to win 55 silver and 43 bronze medals.
Meanwhile, Johor will field 110 athletes in ten sports at the Para SUKMA from 5th to 10th August, with the goal of building on the state’s strong performance.
To further motivate the contingent, the Johor government will retain its RM10,000 incentive for individual and doubles gold medallists at both the SUKMA and Para SUKMA.
Athletes competing in team events with three to seven members will each receive RM9,000 for winning gold, while teams with more than seven members will receive RM8,500 each.
“I am confident that both our new athletes and those returning from SUKMA 2024 can turn their previous silver medals into gold this time,” Mohd Hairi said after the Johor contingent flag presentation ceremony at the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) Hall.
Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman, the State Financial Officer, also made an official announcement about Johor’s contingent leadership lineup during the ceremony.
Mohd Hairi will be Johor’s chef de mission (CDM), with assistance from three deputy CDMs; Datuk On Jabbar @ Jaafar, Muhamad Farkhan Mohd Haron, and Nurfariha Abdul Razak.
The Johor Para SUKMA contingent will be led by Johor State Sports Council director Hasnul Atmam Othman as CDM, with Faridzwan Mohamad @ Kamaruddin serving as deputy CDM.
At a different press conference, Mohd Hairi bemoaned the host state’s SUKMA programme’s continued exclusion of water sports like kayaking and canoeing, claiming that the athletes’ sacrifices and hard work in those sports would be in vain.
In order to guarantee that core sports played at the Olympic, Commonwealth, Asian, and SEA Games continue to be featured in every SUKMA edition, he urged the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) to examine the issue.
According to Mohd Hairi, the Johor State Sports Council plans to send its canoe and kayak athletes to the 2026 International Va’a Federation (IVF) World Sprint Championships in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 17th to 31st August.
He also stated that Johor was interested in hosting a Canoe World Cup in the state, though the proposed dates, venue, and budget would be finalised after further consideration.
