Selangor to propose inclusion of silambam and two other sports in SUKMA 2026

Following the uproar over the exclusion of silambam in SUKMA 2026, the Selangor government has proposed that the Indian martial arts to be included along with petanque and Muay Thai “in the spirit of unity and to drive the development of national sports”.

State youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Najwan Halimi confirmed this following several appeals filed by national and state level sports associations who called for certain sports to be reconsidered.

“After reviewing the applications and information presented, the Selangor executive council has agreed for the secretariat of the 2026 games to propose to the SUKMA supreme committee to include the three additional sports,” he said in a statement.

The final decision is subject to the agreement of all state representatives in the SUKMA supreme committee chaired by the youth and sports minister and the decision will be made by next week.

The exclusion of silambam was raised several state and federal lawmakers who also took the sole Indian representative in SUKMA supreme council to task for his absence when the decision to drop silambam was made.

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