The 2022 Sukma Games (), officially known as the 20th Sukma Games () and commonly known as MSN 2022, was a multi-sport event that was held in Kuala Lumpur from 16 September until 24 September 2022. Though some events, such as the football, cricket and cycling event, started earlier. The Games were originally scheduled to be held in Johor in July 2020. However, they were postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the National Sports Council (NSC) replacing Johor as host.
Venues All sporting events were held in the Klang Valley area, except for sailing which was held in Langkawi, Kedah.
Kuala Lumpur Jalan Duta Sports Complex – Tennis Jalan Duta Squash Complex – Squash Kuala Lumpur Petanque Arena – Petanque Bukit Kiara Sports Complex Juara Stadium – Netball National Lawn bowls Centre – Lawn bowls KL Sports City Bukit Jalil National Stadium – Athletics Axiata Arena – Badminton Malaysia National Hockey Stadium – Hockey National Aquatic Centre – Aquatics (Diving, Swimming) National Squash Centre – Squash National Sports Council Gymnasium 1 – Gymnastics (Rhythmic) National Sports Council Gymnasium 2 – Wushu National Sports Council Gymnasium 3 – Gymnastics (Artistic) Kuala Lumpur Stadium – Football Malaysia Basketball Association Stadium – Basketball Quill City Mall – E-sports University of Malaya – Football
Selangor Shah Alam City Council Section 4 Hall – Volleyball Shah Alam City Council Section 19 Hall – Volleyball Shah Alam City Council Section 19 Beach volleyball Venue – Beach volleyball National University of Malaysia Football Field – Football National University of Malaysia Oval – Cricket National University of Malaysia Dataran Gemilang Square – Opening and closing ceremonies Universiti Teknologi MARA Football Field – Football Universiti Teknologi MARA Sports Complex Hall – Judo, Karate Universiti Teknologi MARA Rugby Field – Rugby sevens Universiti Tenaga Nasional Football Field – Football Universiti Tenaga Nasional Dewan Sri Sarjana Hall – Sepak takraw Selangor Turf Club – Cricket South City Plaza, Seri Kembangan – Muay Thai Subang National Golf Club – Golf Subang National Shooting Range – Shooting Sunway Megalanes, Sunway Pyramid – Bowling
Putrajaya Precinct 18 Futsal Complex – Boxing Precinct 6 Water Sports Complex – Canoeing Precinct 11 Neighbourhood Complex – Weightlifting Putrajaya Challenge Park – Cycling (Mountain biking)
Negeri Sembilan Bandar Sri Sendayan, Seremban – Cycling (road) National Velodrome of Malaysia, Nilai – Cycling (BMX, Track) Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Stadium – Archery Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Dewan Tuanku Canselor Hall – Pencak silat
Kedah National Sailing Training Centre, Langkawi – Sailing
Athletes' villages Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam Main Campus Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang National University of Malaysia, Bangi University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Dayang Bay Service Apartment & Resort, Langkawi Malaysia Paralympic Sports Excellence Centre, Kampung Pandan (Demonstration sports)
The games
Participating states
Sports
Aquatics
Basketball (2) 3×3 Basketball (2)
Road (8) Track (16) BMX (2) Mountain bike (4)
Artistic (14) Rhythmic (5)
Volleyball (2) Beach volleyball (2)
Demonstration sports
Calendar
Medal table
Para Sukma Games Venue list PARA SUKMA Schedule Para Badminton (2–6 November) - Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara Boccia (2–6 November) - Kampung Pandan Paralympic Sports Excellence Centre Para Archery (2–6 November) - NSC Field, KL Sports City Para Athletics (3–6 November) - NSC Mini Stadium, KL Sports City Para Powerlifting (2–5 November) - Kampung Pandan Paralympic Sports Excellence Centre Para Swimming (3–6 November) - KL Sports City Aquatic Centre Para Bowling (2–5 November) - Sunway Megalane, Sunway Pyramid Para Chess (2–6 November) - Banquet Hall, Casa 4, NSC, KL Sports City Para Lawn Bowls (1–6 November) - Bukit Kiara Sports Complex Para Table Tennis (2–6 November) - Gymnasium 2, NSC Sports Complex, KL Sports City
Para Sukma Medal table 2022 Para Sukma Medal Table
Concerns and controversies
The Weightlifting Doping Scandal and MWF's Withdrawal The biggest controversy involved a massive standoff regarding doping tests in weightlifting. Pre-Tournament Doping: A few days before the games, three male weightlifters (two from Terengganu and one from Perlis) failed pre-tournament doping tests. The Standoff: The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (PABM/MWF) had a strict rule that if any athlete from a state tested positive, the entire state delegation for weightlifting must be suspended. However, the National Sports Council (NSC/MSN) disagreed, choosing instead to ban only the specific compromised individuals to protect the clean athletes. MWF Pulls Out: In protest against the NSC's leniency, MWF completely withdrew from managing SUKMA 2022 Games and pulled all its accredited technical officials. The event went ahead using NSC’s own officials, meaning any national records set during the games were not officially recognised by the national body. Post-Games Doping Positives: To add to the issue, two subsequent medal-winning weightlifters tested positive for anabolic androgenic steroids after the games concluded.
Sudden dropping of 12 events Weeks before the games, the NSC announced the cancellation of 12 sporting events across various disciplines, including athletics and diving. The Cause: The games had a strict rule requiring a minimum registration of six states per event. Last-minute withdrawals by certain states left those 12 events under-enrolled, forcing their removal. The Backlash: This drew heavy criticism from former sports officials and fans. Many pointed out that it severely discouraged female athletic participation and wasted years of preparation for athletes in core disciplines like women's field events. The Ministry of Youth and Sports had to explicitly deny any allegations of "sabotage".
Non-Recognition of Event Records Due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the maximum age limit for athletes at SUKMA 2022 was exceptionally extended from 21 to 23 years old to allow sidelined athletes a chance to compete. Because older, more mature athletes were competing against standard youth categories, the NSC ruled that no records broken during the 2022 Games would be recognised as official new tournament records. This caused significant heartbreak for outstanding athletes like Pahang's Muhammad Ikbolasen, who shattered a 26-year-old 10,000-meter record but had it voided under the blanket technicality.
External links Official site Result system
References