Malaysia offers CGF to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Malaysia expressed its interest in hosting the Commonwealth Games 2026 after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host of the multilateral event. 

Malaysia offered its willingness to host the event in a formal letter to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

In a statement issued on Monday, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) said the offer includes a significant financial investment of £100 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.

In July last year, Victoria withdrew as host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, putting the future of the quadrennial multisport event in doubt and raising questions about the benefits and continued relevance of the Games.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said costs could have ballooned to more than Australian $7 billion from a budgeted A$2.6 billion while cancelling the plan to host the CWG, a British Commonwealth legacy.