The Malaysian Cricket Association or Malaysian Cricket lauds the inclusion of cricket alongside four other sports that will be contested in the 2024 Sukma Games in Sarawak as an important step in unity and development.
In a statement released to the media today, the President of Malaysian Cricket, Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali, extends his heartfelt gratitude to the Malaysia Games (Sukma) Supreme Committee for the collective decision of including cricket in Sukma 2024 and to ensure the continuity of the sport by endorsing its inclusion in the 2026 Sukma.
“This is an added boost towards ongoing efforts of developing grassroots talent and more importantly retaining talent. One cannot imagine how much this inclusion means to cricket. Sukma is a critical step in the development journey of budding young athletes in Malaysia and we hope to leverage this to scout and retain the country’s best future talent,” said Mohammed Iqbal.
He added, “Malaysian Cricket extends its appreciation to (the) Sarawak Cricket Association and the respective Majlis Sukan Negeri (State Sport Council) for their efforts to ensure the inclusion of cricket. The leadership of Dato’ Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports in this endeavour has been integral to the successful bid to include cricket.”
Mohammed Iqbal is optimistic that with the assistance of the Sarawak state government, the future of cricket is hopeful and he expects the Sukma cricket tournament to set a new benchmark for the sport in Borneo.
“The efforts of our Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Hannah Yeoh, are simply phenomenal as she continues to go down to the ground and listens to the needs and requirements of all stakeholders. Malaysia is fortunate to have her helm sports in the country. I believe sports will grow tenfold so long as we have YB Hannah Yeoh as the Minister of Youth and Sports. Malaysian Cricket salutes you for all your efforts and sincere dedication to the challenges of now and your vision of the future,” concluded Mohammed Iqbal. 
