KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor state government has announced a reduced sports budget for 2025, but they remain ambitious, setting their sights on winning the overall title at the 2026 Selangor Sukma Games.
During the Selangor State Legislative Assembly today, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari unveiled a RM6 million allocation for the state’s high-performance sports development programme.
This represents a RM2 million reduction from last year but is intended to ensure athlete continuity and success.
“Various factors must be considered to ensure the needs of high-performance sports development are met, including coaching, sports science support, IT and data management, training and competition equipment, athlete training packages such as allowances, exposure to local and international tournaments, and training infrastructure,” Amirudin said.
He stressed that the Selangor State Sports Council would continue its Sports Development Programme to nurture emerging talent and prepare for Sukma 2026, which the state will host.
“The last time we hosted Sukma was in 1998, 26 years ago. That edition was historic, as Selangor emerged overall champions with 80 gold medals – a record that remains unbeaten to this day,” he added.
Despite the reduced budget, Selangor Badminton Association (SBA) president Datuk V. Subramaniam voiced confidence but urged better fund management.
“The state government must understand that sports like badminton are neither cheap nor easy to manage. We need all the support we can get.
“Selangor is one of the better-supported states, but moving forward, I’d like to see the funds managed more effectively,” Subramaniam, also Badminton Association of Malaysia acting president, told Scoop.
Last year, the Selangor government allocated RM8 million for sports development, RM10 million for Selangor Football Club, and RM1 million for esports. – November 15, 2024