Quality over quantity: Malaysia's 59 athletes bring home eight golds from Glasgow
Former sports editor V Ashok says the national contingent must sustain its momentum after beating its five-gold target at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Ahmedabad 2030 next.
Malaysia closed the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland with eight gold, three silver and five bronze medals — surpassing its initial five-gold target, according to a commentary by former Berita Harian sports editor V Ashok.
The country sent just 59 athletes, including 22 para athletes, competing across 10 sports during the 11-day Games that ended last Sunday. The contingent finished among the overall top 10.
Ashok described the outcome as a story of "quality over quantity". By comparison, Malaysia sent 105 athletes to Birmingham four years ago across 15 sports and 96 events, returning with seven gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
RM1.1 million in rewards
All 19 medallists are assured of rewards totalling RM1.1 million under the Sports Victory Reward Scheme. Gold medallists receive RM80,000, silver RM40,000 and bronze RM20,000.
Among the recipients is track cycling legend Azizulhasni Awang, who ended a 16-year wait by winning the keirin at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on July 31. Azizulhasni, 38, has announced that Glasgow was his final appearance at the Games.
Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed made history with Malaysia's first Commonwealth Games gold in judo, beating South Africa's Timoty Meuwwen in the final at the Scottish Event Campus on Aug 1. The 21-year-old Penang native, a Universiti Sains Malaysia student, was ranked 117th in the world against his opponent's 41st.
The other golds came from weightlifters Aniq Kasdan, Azniul Bidin, Hafizuddin Roslin, Syahmi Nor Ghazali and Erry Hidayat, along with para athletics competitor Abdul Latif Romly.
What comes next
Ashok cautioned that medal hauls are tied to heavy government investment funded by taxpayers, so the commitment and momentum must be sustained. The nearest test is the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from Sept 19 to Oct 4, where continental competition is tougher and Commonwealth champions do not automatically win.
The 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, India, are reported to feature between 15 and 17 sports, including badminton and squash, plus host favourites such as men's and women's hockey and cricket.
Malaysia won 12 golds in New Delhi in 2010, its best-ever showing. Since debuting in 1950, the country has collected 74 golds in total.
The views expressed are the writer's own.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.