Kuala lumpur: The Kidslympic Games Malaysia is set to become an annual event following a positive response aimed at nurturing new sports talents.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kidslympic Malaysia co-founder Goh Liu Ying announced that the Games, designed for children aged between five and 12, attracted over 3,000 participants competing in six sports categories: athletics, football, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and an obstacle course. Liu Ying, a former national shuttler, noted this was a significant increase from last year’s participant count, which ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 children.

Liu Ying attributed the surge in participation to outreach efforts in schools nationwide and the introduction of running programs linked to the Games across several states. “This is the first year for the running events, so we are still new at it. The highest number of participants is from Selangor,” she explained. Liu Ying expressed hope for expanding these running events to more states, including Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, and Kelantan in the future.

In addition, Youth and Sports Ministry Development Division secretary Amir Hamzah Awang Ghazali voiced support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of making such events a cultural norm beyond just a one-off program. He highlighted the role of various parties in organizing similar programs, especially in conjunction with the National Sports Day (HSN).

The Games also received a boost with a RM60,000 sports matching grant from the Youth and Sports Ministry, further supporting its aim to become a recurring event in Malaysia’s sports calendar.