KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 Malaysia has been offered the opportunity by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to replace Victoria, Australia, as the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

In a statement today, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) said the offer includes a significant financial investment of £100 million (approximately RM601 million) to support the local delivery and legacy planning of the 2026 edition.

"Following a formal invitation from the CGF to OCM which is also known as the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) of Malaysia last month, OCM started discussions with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia on the possibility of staging the 2026 Commonwealth Games following the withdrawal of winning bidder Victoria, Australia, last year,” it said.

OCM President Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria was quoted in the statement as saying that CGA Malaysia is of the opinion that the government should consider this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — and the associated support and financial investment — which will build on the success of Kuala Lumpur 1998 and put Malaysia back onto the world sporting map.

With the existing world-class facilities, Mohamad Norza said Malaysia is well-equipped to host an international event of Commonwealth magnitude involving 74 Commonwealth nations and territories.

Rest assured, Mohamad Norza said that the hosting will involve minimal government spending and bring significant socio-economic benefits to the country.

"It will also elevate the standard of Malaysia sports much like the way it did in the aftermath of the 1998 Games,” he said.

Last Saturday, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the decision on whether Malaysia is interested in hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games is expected to be made by the Cabinet soon.

Hannah said her ministry is preparing a Cabinet paper encompassing the results of studies on various aspects of organising the sport for the Cabinet.

The fate of the 2026 Commonwealth Games remains in question after the Australian state of Victoria, which was due to host the 23rd edition, pulled out in July last year due to increased hosting costs from the initial expectation of A$2.6 billion (about RM8.09 billion) to A$7 billion (approximately RM21.78 billion).

Victoria state government also reportedly agreed to pay A$380 million for breach of contract for failing to host the games as scheduled from March 17 to 29, 2026.

Malaysia became the first Asian country to host the Commonwealth Games in 1998. In 2010, the quadrennial Games returned to the region and were held in India. — Bernama