Should Malaysia host 2026 Commonwealth Games? Look at Victoria and Birmingham, critics say

The Australian state of Victoria won the rights to host the 2026 edition of the event, but withdrew in July 2023, citing a projected budget blowout.

Victoria won after Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, alongside Cardiff, Calgary, Edmonton and Adelaide, pulled out from the race, citing financial concerns.

Now, without a host just two years ahead of the games, the Commonwealth Games Federation is dangling £100 million (US$127 million) for Malaysia to help pay for the event.

The Malaysian government is deliberating over the matter, with its Olympic Council (OCM) proposing a stripped-down version of the games.

OCM’s president Mohamad Norza Zakaria called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to put Malaysia “back onto the world sporting map”, and build on the success of the 1998 edition of the games, which Malaysia hosted.

“We do not have enough time to set up venues, prepare volunteers, organise security aspects and involvement of other agencies,” former Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican Reezal was quoted as saying by news agency Astro Awani.

The 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur is already a high watermark for the country, as it became the first Asian member of the collective to host the event.

Aside from the 2010 Delhi Games, every subsequent edition of the Commonwealth Games has been hosted by either a British or Australian city.

The sitting Sports Commissioner from the Youth and Sports Ministry, Suhardi Alias has also questioned why the country would take an unnecessary burden with little time to make sure it is a success.

“Victoria willingly paid such a large amount of money as compensation to withdraw from organising the games,” Suhardi told local newspaper Sinar Harian. “We also need to see what happened to