Malaysia offered £100m to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

Malaysia has received a lucrative offer of UK£100 million (AU$193 million) to step in as the host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, following the withdrawal of Victoria last August.

The country’s Olympic Council revealed that the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has extended this significant financial investment to support the local delivery and legacy planning of the upcoming edition.

A statement on the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) website read, ‘Following a formal invitation from the CGF to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), OCM started discussions with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia on the possibility of staging the 2026 Commonwealth Games following the withdrawal of winning bidder Victoria last year.’

“The last time Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games was in 1998, thus CGA Malaysia is of the opinion that the government of Malaysia 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 onto the world sporting map,” Mohamad Norza Zakaria, president of Commonwealth Games Malaysia, commented.

“With the existing world-class facilities, Malaysia is well-equipped to host an international event of Commonwealth magnitude involving 74 Commonwealth 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 Malaysia 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.”

Although a formal invitation has not been confirmed by the CGF, a spokesperson acknowledged Malaysia’s strong track record in delivering successful sporting events – citing the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur as a shining example. The CGF is encouraged by Malaysia’s commitment to building on this legacy and utilising existing world-class facilities.

The CGF revealed that it is engaged in advanced and confidential discussions with potential hosts for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, all of which stand to benefit from the financial and strategic support made available through the settlement resulting from Victoria’s withdrawal.