KUALA LUMPUR: Doubts emerged Tuesday 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 last year 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 Monday 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 to support the local delivery and legacy planning of the 2026 edition.”

Commonwealth Games chiefs subsequently praised Malaysia’s “fantastic track record”, the country having staged the Games in 1998. But Khairy Jamaluddin, a former youth and sports minister in Malaysia, on Tuesday rubbished the idea and called it “reckless” because the Games are 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 monetization 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 organize this big event,” said Suhardi, whose views are significant but will not influence the final decision.

“If we fail, we will look like a bunch of clowns,” he added. The ultimate decision will come down to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. There is 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 says that the £100 million ($130 million) of “financial and strategic support” is on offer for any potential host as part of the Victoria withdrawal settlement. A spokesperson suggested that Malaysia was not the only country that could potentially stage the Games in 2026, saying the organization was “in advanced, confidential discussions with potential hosts”.

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”. — AFP