NSC eyes padel, MMA, surfing and climbing to widen Malaysia's medal base after Asian Games
Following esports gold and a debut padel silver in Aichi-Nagoya, the NSC wants to back emerging sports so Malaysia relies less on a few traditional strengths.
Malaysia's National Sports Council (NSC) wants to spread its bets. After a nine-gold Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya that leaned heavily on squash, the council said on 5 October it will look harder at emerging sports such as padel, mixed martial arts, surfing and sport climbing, alongside esports.
NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin said the aim is to stop Malaysia depending on one or two sports for its medals. He warned that the country "cannot afford to be left without options" if those sports fail to deliver.
The case from Aichi-Nagoya
Two of the newer events gave Malaysia strong results in Japan.
In esports, Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira won the Gran Turismo 7 event. That gave Malaysia its first Asian Games esports gold, improving on his silver at Hangzhou 2022.
In padel, which made its Asian Games debut, Christian Didier Chin and Aidan Yunus reached the men's doubles final and took silver. They lost 6-3, 6-1 to Qatari brothers Mashari and Rashed Naif in about an hour. Neither came from a padel background: Chin is a former tennis player and Aidan a former squash player.
Why diversity matters
Four of Malaysia's nine golds came from squash, with two from karate and one each from sepak takraw, track cycling and esports. Several traditional sports did not reach their expected level, and the men's hockey team lost the final to India.
The NSC's view is that a wider base reduces the risk of a poor Games if one or two key sports have a bad week. MMA, surfing and sport climbing are on the list to be explored. The council has not yet given details of funding or programmes for each sport.
Home SEA Games the first target
The timing is linked to the 2027 SEA Games, which Malaysia hosts from 18 to 29 September next year. Host nations usually have some say over which sports are included, and newer events often offer medal chances while regional rivals are still building their programmes.
Chin and Aidan have already said they are aiming for SEA Games gold on home soil after their Asian Games silver. The longer-term target remains the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the NSC hopes Malaysia can win its first Olympic gold.
What fans can expect
For Malaysian fans, the shift could mean more national-level backing, and more coverage, for sports that have received little attention until now. The NSC has not said how quickly any new support will arrive, so the next step is to see which sports are given formal high-performance programmes before the SEA Games.
Key takeaways
- The NSC will explore padel, MMA, surfing, sport climbing and esports to widen Malaysia's medal chances.
- Taj Izrin Aiman won Malaysia's first Asian Games esports gold, in Gran Turismo 7.
- Christian Didier Chin and Aidan Yunus won padel silver on the sport's Asian Games debut.
- Four of Malaysia's nine Aichi-Nagoya golds came from squash.
- The 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia, from 18 to 29 September, is the next major target.
FAQ
Which emerging sports is the NSC looking at? Padel, mixed martial arts, surfing, sport climbing and esports.
Did Malaysia win a medal in padel at the 2026 Asian Games? Yes. Christian Didier Chin and Aidan Yunus won men's doubles silver after losing the final to Qatar.
Who won Malaysia's esports gold at the Asian Games? Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, in the Gran Turismo 7 event.
Sources: Bernama, theSun, New Straits Times, Malay Mail