Terengganu: Terengganu has set a target of finishing among the top three teams at the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor this August. Terengganu State Sports Council (MSNT) director Ahmad Shahrizal Yahaya said they are in the final stage of determining the medal target for the contingent this time.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, for the 22nd edition of the Games, Terengganu will field more than 500 athletes in 35 of the 37 events contested. Ahmad Shahrizal noted that at SUKMA 2024 in Sarawak, the Terengganu contingent finished fifth with a haul of 41 gold, 36 silver, and 47 bronze medals. For this edition, they are aiming for a top-three finish rather than becoming overall champions, to avoid placing excessive pressure on the athletes, 60 percent of whom are new faces.
The appointment ceremony for the contingent's chef de mission, sports patrons, and adoptive departments for SUKMA 2026 was officiated by Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, with the presence of state Youth, Sports, and Non-Governmental Organisations Development Committee chairman Hishamuddin Abdul Karim. At the event, Deputy State Secretary (Development) Datuk Rosli Latif was appointed as the SUKMA 2026 chef de mission.
Ahmad Shahrizal mentioned that the Terengganu contingent is currently in the third phase of preparations and training, focusing on selecting the strongest athletes, increasing participation in competitions domestically and overseas, and conducting closed-door training with other teams. With an allocation of RM5 million from the state government for SUKMA preparations, there is hope that the team's journey towards achieving the set target will proceed smoothly.
During the ceremony, Ahmad Samsuri presented incentives under the National Representative Scheme and victory rewards totaling RM239,300 to 102 Terengganu athletes who competed in the 2025 SEA Games from December 9 to 20 last year and the 2025 ASEAN Para Games held from January 20 to 26. He highlighted that 20 athletes from Terengganu contributed seven gold, seven silver, and 13 bronze medals for the country at the 2025 SEA Games, while Terengganu athletes at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games won four gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals.
He added that the sports contributing to these medals included cycling, gymnastics, pencak silat, archery, hockey, para badminton, para athletics, and para table tennis. These incentives are a token of appreciation from the state government for the athletes' efforts in bringing honor to the nation and the state, achieving a better outcome than recorded at the same Games in Cambodia in 2023.