KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has set its sights on seven core sports as potential medal contributors for the 2026 Asian Games, with aquatics (diving), badminton, cycling (track), archery, squash, karate, and wushu identified as the country’s best hopes.
For the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the focus will shift toward weightlifting, lawn bowls, para athletics, para lawn bowls, and para powerlifting, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim told Parliament today.
He said the National Sports Council (NSC) has launched a specialised high-performance initiative known as Asiakom, aimed at preparing elite athletes for both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
“The project focuses on 39 athletes from nine sports, emphasising training, competition exposure, coaching management, training camps, and sports science and medical support,” Adam said during the Dewan Rakyat’s oral question session.
He added that the number of targeted sports could be revised based on Malaysia’s performance at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, which will serve as a key benchmark for readiness.
Adam was responding to a question from Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah (PN-Rompin) on the ministry’s strategy to strengthen grassroots talent development and assess Malaysia’s prospects for upcoming multi-sport events, including the Olympics.
He said recent strong performances from national athletes have bolstered optimism that Malaysia is on the verge of a breakthrough — possibly capturing its first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Games. — November 4, 2025