E-SPORTS may soon be an extracurricular option for students in Selangor, says state youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi.
He said discussions were underway with the National Sports Council and Youth and Sports Ministry to include e-sports as a core sport in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).
“Currently, e-sports is classified as an optional sport in Sukma Selangor 2026. It was introduced at Sukma Sarawak last year,” he said.
He added that the state was collaborating with the Education Ministry to introduce e-sports into school-level competitions under the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) framework.
“Currently, there are no official regulations for incorporating e-sports into schools as part of co-curricular activities.
“That is why we are pushing the two ministries to act,” he said at the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) silver jubilee celebration at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam.
To foster talent at the grassroots level, Mohd Najwan said Selangor recently hosted the Selangor Future Cup, a state-organised e-sports tournament in February which welcomed over 60 secondary schools across the state.
The tournament was aimed at identifying and nurturing emerging talent that can eventually join the Selangor Red Giants, the state’s e-sports team.
On the project to convert the former Carlton Hotel in Section 13, Shah Alam into an e-sports hub for Sukma, Mohd Najwan said it was delayed due to unresolved administrative and ownership issues with the hotel’s previous operator.
He added that no final decision has been made regarding the Sukma e-sports venue.
“However, state officials are exploring options such as convention centres in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya.”
