Malaysia: Malaysia has been unanimously selected to host the 16th Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) General Assembly in 2027. The decision was made at the 15th ISSA General Assembly, which was attended by delegates representing 53 of the 57 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) affiliated with ISSA, at the InterContinental Taif in Saudi Arabia last Saturday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Norza Zakaria, stated that the selection of Malaysia as the host reflects ISSA's confidence in Malaysia's stability and capability to organize major ISSA events. Mohamad Norza, who also serves as the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) president and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) vice-president for the SEA Zone, emphasized that OCM would collaborate closely with the government to ensure the successful organization of the first-ever ISSA General Assembly in the country.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, OCM revealed that the assembly in Saudi Arabia was officiated by ISSA president His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, who is also the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) president and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Sport. Mohamad Norza was appointed as a member of the ISSA Executive Board for the new term of 2026-2029 and designated as the Games Organising Committee, Malaysia 2029 Representative.
During the General Assembly, NOC Malaysia, in collaboration with the Sarawak State Government, presented a progress report on the preparations and readiness for the 7th Islamic Solidarity Games in 2029. The presentation was delivered jointly by Mohamad Norza, Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, and Sarawak Deputy State Secretary Hii Chang Kee.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between ISSA, OCM, and the Sarawak government to establish cooperation among the three parties and lay the foundation for preparations for the 2029 Games. The MOU paves the way for cooperation among the three parties and lays the foundation for preparations for the 7th Islamic Solidarity Games in 2029, subject to the official endorsement of the hosting by the Sarawak State Government.