Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) needs to set a policy to maintain core sports that are capable of contributing medals at international tournaments so that they can be competed and not dropped at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah has expressed concerns about the decision to drop core sports such as canoeing, boxing, and football from SUKMA by certain states. He believes this could hinder the development of potential sports and athlete talent in the country.

Mohd Hairi emphasized the need for both the National Sports Council (MSN) and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to stress the importance of keeping these core sports. He urged Minister Hannah Yeoh to ensure that sports, which have been successful at international competitions such as the SEA Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics, remain regular events at SUKMA.

He expressed these views during a ‘Sup Tulang Merah’ (Red Bone Soup) distribution ceremony in conjunction with Ramadan at the Larkin state legislative assembly constituency. He also commented on Selangor’s plan to introduce pickleball at the 2026 SUKMA, scheduled for August, welcoming the proposal but urging that it should not come at the expense of core sports.

Mohd Hairi noted that while pickleball is currently trending, there is a risk it might not have the lasting appeal or significance of established core sports. He mentioned that the list of sports for SUKMA 2026 is still under discussion, with optional sports to be finalized in June, and encouraged stakeholders to appeal to ensure core sports are retained.

Earlier, Mohd Hairi, who also serves as the Larkin State Assemblyman, participated in distributing red bone soup to local residents, a program held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during Ramadan.