The prospect of Malaysia hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games has been thrown into doubt after current and former senior officials expressed serious reservations about the country's bid.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is scrambling to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly pulled out in July last year citing spiraling costs. Victoria's sudden move and the lack of an obvious alternative sparked debate over the future of the quadrennial games, which will last be held in Birmingham in 2022.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia said on Monday that the London-based CGF had "offered Malaysia the opportunity to replace Victoria as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games".
"The offer includes a significant financial investment of £100 million pounds to support the local delivery and legacy planning for the 2026 edition of the Games." In response, Commonwealth Games chiefs praised Malaysia's "fantastic track record" in hosting the 1998 Games. However, Khairy Jamaluddin, a former Youth and Sports Minister, dismissed the idea as "reckless" with the Games just over two years away.
Any host would need at least four years to upgrade venues, plan sponsorship, and build infrastructure, he told AFP. "The Commonwealth Games is not a major, marquee sporting event," he added. "In terms of multi-sport games, it is nowhere near the Olympics or even the Asian Games in terms of participation, exposure, and revenue, so the potential for monetization and spillover benefits for the host country will be minimal," Jamaluddin pointed out.
Suhardi Alias, the sports commissioner at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, also urged caution. "Two years is really a short time to organize this big event. If we fail, we will look like a bunch of clowns," said Suhardi, whose views are important but will not influence the final decision.
There is some support for the games in Malaysia, but the final decision rests with the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Ramlan Abdul Aziz, former director-general of the National Sports Council, a government agency, told Bernama: "If we study carefully there is no big risk involved, especially with the injection of funds from the CGF."
The CGF said the £100 million of "financial and strategic support" was on offer to any potential host as part of the Victoria withdrawal settlement. A spokesperson hinted that Malaysia was not the only country that could potentially host the 2026 Games, saying the organization was in "advanced, confidential discussions with potential hosts".
Norza Zakaria, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Malaysia, called it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity … which will build on the success of Kuala Lumpur 1998 and put Malaysia back on the world sporting map".
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