The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has confirmed that Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) 2020 has been postponed following the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. The national sports event was originally planned to be held in Johor starting 11 July this year.
The decision was announced by youth and sports minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican on 25 March. According to Berita Harian, the minister had arranged a special meeting with SUKMA committee members via video conference to conclude the decision.
“The SUKMA committee agreed upon the decision after taking into account the most important aspects of the safety and health of athletes, coaches, officials and all those involved in the Games,” he stated. The minister added that the meeting also proposed two potential new dates for the event: later in December or forwarded entirely to 2021.
The new date will be decided by majority vote, with another meeting between committee members scheduled for early May this year. Additionally, Reezal Merican advised to have events or activities following the initial schedule of SUKMA 2020 to be suspended as well.
This year’s SUKMA games are one of many sporting events that have been suspended due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. These events include the Tokyo Olympics Games, Euro 2020, and Wimbledon.
(Source: Berita Harian)
