KUALA LUMPUR – Doubts emerged on March 12 over the prospect of Malaysia hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, after current and former senior officials expressed grave reservations about the country stepping in.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is scrambling to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly pulled out in July 2023, citing spiralling costs.

Victoria’s sudden move and the lack of an obvious alternative triggered debate about the future of the Games, which take place every four years and were last held in 2022 in Birmingham.

The Olympic Council of Malaysia on March 11 said that the London-based CGF had “offered Malaysia the opportunity to replace Victoria as hosts of the Commonwealth Games in 2026”.

“The offer includes significant financial investment of £100 million (S$170 million) to support the local delivery and legacy planning of the 2026 edition,” it said.

Commonwealth Games chiefs subsequently praised Malaysia’s “fantastic track record”, with the South-east Asian country having staged the Games in 1998.

But a CGF spokesperson also suggested that Malaysia was not the only country that could potentially stage the Games in 2026.

The spokesperson said the organisation was “in advanced, confidential discussions with potential hosts”.

“Malaysia has a fantastic track record of delivering sporting events, and the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur were hugely successful,” said the spokesperson.

“We are encouraged by their early concepts of building on this legacy through use of many of the same world-class facilities. We welcome innovative proposals and are (also) in positive discussions with potential hosts.

“We are committed to providing an update on the expedited process, and giving greater clarity to our stakeholders and athletes, as soon as possible.”

While all may seem positive for Malaysia on the surface, Khairy Jamaluddin, a former youth and sports minister, on March 12 rubbished the idea and called it “reckless” because the Games are only a little over two years away.

Any host would need at least four years to upgrade venues, plan sponsorship and set up infrastructure, he told AFP.

“The Commonwealth Games is not a significant, marquee sporting event,” he added.

“As far as multi-sports Games are concerned, it is nowhere near the Olympics or even the Asian Games in terms of participation, exposure and returns.

“So the potential for monetisation and spillover benefits for the host country will be minimal.”

Suhardi Alias, sports commissioner with the youth and sports ministry, also urged caution.

“Two years is really a short time to organise this big event,” said Suhardi, whose views are significant but will not influence the final decision.

“Why do we want to be the saviour for the Games when Victoria dumped it, and nobody else wants it?

“If we fail, we will look like a bunch of clowns.”

The ultimate decision will come down to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

There is however, some support in Malaysia for the Games.

Ramlan Abdul Aziz, former director-general of the National Sports Council, a government agency, told Bernama news agency: “If we study carefully there is no big risk involved, especially with the injection of funds from the CGF.”

The CGF confirmed that the £100 million of “financial and strategic support” is on offer for any potential host as part of the Victoria withdrawal settlement.

Mohamad Norza Zakaria, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Malaysia, called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” which will build on the success of Kuala Lumpur 1998 and “put Malaysia back onto the world sporting map”.

It remains to be seen if Malaysia will take up this opportunity or poisoned chalice.

It is also damning that the BBC reported just last week that the Commonwealth Games was missing from a list of 70 major events that UK Sport said it wanted Britain to host in the next 15 years.

Deputy CEO Simon Morton said: “The challenge for us thinking about the Commonwealth Games in the future is simply a value for money one, rather than does it have benefit?

“We’ve got an open dialogue with the Commonwealth Games Federation, but until there is a little bit more clarity on what a sustainable Commonwealth Games model looks like in the future, it doesn’t appear on our list.” AFP