KUALA LUMPUR: Hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia with £100 million (RM602 million) in assistance from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".
That is the view of Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, who confirmed that Malaysia has been offered to organise the 2026 games, in place of original host Victoria, Australia, which withdrew last year citing escalating costs.
The offer to take over from Victoria includes the £100 million investment, which is intended to "support local delivery and legacy planning" for the games.
The OCM said this in a press statement released today.
The OCM is also the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) of Malaysia.
Norza said organising the games would help put Malaysia back on the global sporting map without placing too much financial burden on the government.
"The last time Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games was in 1998.
"Thus, CGA Malaysia is of the opinion that the government should consider this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the associated support and financial investment, which will build on the success of Kuala Lumpur 1998 and put Malaysia back on the world sporting map.
"With the existing world-class facilities, Malaysia is well-equipped to host an international event of
Commonwealth magnitude involving 74 nations and territories.
"The hosting will involve minimal government spending and bring significant socio-economic benefits to the country.
"It will also elevate the standard of Malaysian sports, much like the way it did in the aftermath of the 1998 Games. To this end, the CGF and CGA Malaysia have offered an attractive proposal to the government of Malaysia."
Victoria had expected its organising cost to increase from A$2.6 billion (RM8.09 billion) to A$7 billion (RM21.78 billion) when it announced its withdrawal last year.
TimeSport believes the cost to organise the games in Malaysia should be lower due to the availability of existing infrastructure and relatively lower general operating costs compared with more developed nations.
Malaysia also has a solid track record when it comes to organising multi-sport games, which makes it an attractive option for the CGF.
Malaysia is preparing to host the 2027 Sea Games, which will utilise similar infrastructure.
On Saturday, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the cabinet will soon decide whether Malaysia will express interest in hosting the games.
