Selangor offers to host 2022 SUKMA

PETALING JAYA, Aug 20 -- Selangor aspires to host the 2022 Malaysian Games (SUKMA) after last organising the biggest sports festival in the country in 1998.

State Young Generation Development, Sports and Human Capital Committee chairman Mohd Khairudin Othman said that he was optimistic that the desire could be achieve based on the economic strength of the state.

He said that, a meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and National Sports Council (NSC) director-general (d-g) Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail to discuss the matter, went smoothly recently.

‘’This offer based on economy means that Selangor, despite receiving minimal aid from the federal government, have the capacity and ability to organise 2022 SUKMA.

‘’Due to this economic factor, we are very optimist of organising the festival and hope the Minister can consider Selangor’s aspiration to be host in 2022,’’ he told a media conference on the 2019 Selangor International Sports Summit here today.

However, Mohd Khairudin said that, to date, the state government had not received an official response from the ministry or NSC.

‘’We have not received a response in writing but I regard the meeting with the minister and NSC d-g as able to give a positive result,’’ he added.

For the record, Perak hosted 2018 SUKMA while Johor was mandated to host the 2020 SUKMA which is scheduled in July next year.

In a separate development, Mohd Khairudin hoped that the organisation of the inaugural 2019 Selangor International Sports Summit on Aug 27 would impact positively on the state sports industry.

The summit would witness Qatar 2022 World Cup Highest Committee member, Khalid Al-Naama and South Korean International Sports Diplomacy president, Prof Rocky Kang-Ro Yoon being picked as panel members in the event.

-- BERNAMA