2013–2014 Sukma Games

Updated on Jan 28, 2024

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Teams participating 14 Events 130 in 18 sports Closing ceremony 7 July 2013		Athletes participating 3618 Opening ceremony 28 June 2013
Main venue Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

The 2013 Sukma Games, officially known as the 16th Sukma Games, was a multi-sport held in Kuala Lumpur and some other places in the Klang Valley, with 130 in 18 elective sports and disciplines featured in the games, while the 2014 Sukma Games, officially known as the 17th Sukma Games, was a multi-sports event held in Perlis from May 24 to June 4, 2014 with 388 events in 24 sports and disciplines featured in the games. The 2014 Sukma Games was Perlis' first time to host the Sukma Games, while the 2013 Sukma Games was Federal Territory's fourth time to host the games and its first since 2011. .

Perlis is the thirteenth state to host the Sukma Games after Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Johor, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Penang, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu, Malacca since its introduction in 1986, the eighth in the 21st Century after Penang, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu, Malacca and Pahang and the fourth in Northern Malaysian state after Perak, Penang and Kedah.

The final medal tally of the 2013 Sukma Games was led by Selangor, followed by Terengganu and host Federal Territory, while the final medal tally of the 2012 Sukma Games was led by Federal Territory, followed by Terengganu and Sarawak with host Perlis in fourteenth place and the combined final medal tally of the 2013-2014 Sukma Games was led by Terengganu, followed by Federal Territory and Selangor with host Perlis in fourteenth place. Several national and games records were broken during the games. In the 2013 Sukma Games, Selangorian gymnast Danniel Iskandar Richard and Sarawakian gymnast Esmelda Arecia Menti Alfred Geling were announced as best sportsman and best sportswoman of the games respectively, while in the 2014 Sukma Games, Negeri Sembilanian field athlete Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin and Sarawakian weightlifter Jelinie Empera were announced as best sportsman and best sportswoman of the games respectively. Though there were several controversies, the two games were deemed generally successful with the rising standard of competition amongst the Malaysian states.

Host city

The 2014 Sukma Games is the 17th edition of Sukma Games since its introduction in 1986. It was for the very first time the smallest state in Malaysia, Perlis held the national sporting event. Only core sports was featured in the games and all the states held their respective Sukma Games except for Kelantan. Prior to this games, Perlis has yet to host any Sukma Games. As this is the first time the Malaysia smallest state held such a grand national sporting event, many of the sports venues and facilities were freshly completed.

Meanwhile, the Federal Territory is host to the 2013 Sukma Games, the 16th edition of Sukma Games since its introduction in 1986 which featured only elective sports.

Venues

The 17th Sukma Games had 16 venues for the games, while the 16th Sukma Games had 11 venues for the games, 5 in Kuala Lumpur and 6 in Selangor.

17th Sukma Games

16th Sukma Games

Countdown

On 17 June 2013, a launch party was held to introduce logo, theme, theme song, mascot and official website of the 2014 Sukma Games. A 100-day countdown was also later held on 14 February 2014.

Logo and mascot

The official mascot of the 2014 Sukma Games is a lion named "Singa Utara". Lion is the icon and identity of Perlis and is known as the Northern Lion. Despite the fact that the lion does not exist in the state, the lion is regarded as the state symbol because it represents the characteristics and soul of the Perlisans namely: courage, fast, competency, friendly, smart and caring.

The logo is an image of a lion consists of four colours. Yellow represents loyalty to king and country, Blue represents unity and harmony in sports, Red represents the fighting spirit, insistence and the bravery in facing challenges while White represents solemnity, pure soul and sincerity. The symbol of the lion itself is the state symbol of Perlis as depicted in the coats of arms of Perlis. Meanwhile, the mascot of the 2013 Sukma Games is a tiger named Harimau Muda (Youth Tiger), which is also the mascot for the 2011 Sukma Games.

Songs

The theme Song of the 2014 Sukma Games is "Seiring Menuju Kecemerlangan" (Together Towards Excellence) which is eponymous to the theme of the 2014 Sukma Games.

Participating states

2013-2014 Sukma Games

2014 Sukma Games only

Brunei

Sports

2013 Sukma Games

2014 Sukma Games

Medal table

2013 Sukma Games

At the 2013 Sukma Games, a total number of 454 medals comprising 130 Gold medals, 130 Silver medals and 194 Bronze medals were awarded to athletes. The host Federal Territory placed third overall among participating states.

Key

* Host state (Federal Territory)

2014 Sukma Games

At the 2014 Sukma Games, a total number of 1246 medals comprising 389 Gold medals, 388 Silver medals and 469 Bronze medals were awarded to athletes. The host Perlis placed fourteenth overall among participating states.

Key

* Host state (Perlis)

Combined

Combining the medal table of both games, a total number of 1700 medals comprising 519 Gold medals, 518 Silver medals and 663 Bronze medals were awarded to athletes. Both host Federal Territory and Perlis' performances were their best ever yet. Federal Territory placed second overall amongst the participating states, whereas Perlis placed fourteenth overall among participating states.

Key

* Host state (Federal Territory and Perlis)

Broadcasting

Radio Televisyen Malaysia was responsible for live streaming of several events, opening and closing ceremony of the games.

Concerns and controversies

2013 Sukma Games

At the 2013 Sukma Games, Malaysian Police have arrested three handball players on charges of raping a female officer of the women's handball squad at the Sukma Games Village in Malaysia. The victim alleged that she was raped on Wednesday at the sports village in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) situated in Serdang district. The 19-year-old woman was in a semi-conscious state when she was repeatedly raped in a hostel room at the university.

2014 Sukma Games

On 29 May,the canvas roof of the recently completed Aquatics Centre came down at 2pm on that day. The late completion of the complex had forced organisers to delay the swimming and diving events by a day. The aquatics competition was initially scheduled to start on Wednesday. Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin had gone to the site to witness the situation. The roof is then removed and the competition continues.

On complaints that tenpin bowling athletes had to play until the wee hours of the morning, all contingents were notified that the bowling centre for the 17th Sukma had only 24 lanes, and the competition had to be extended. The first day of the tenpin bowling competition at the Kayangan Mall on 27 May was delayed for three hours due to power failure while on Monday, the team event had to be extended until the small hour of the morning due to damaged lanes.

In addition to the construction delayed for the Indoor Stadium, audience attended badminton games held on 31 May annoyed by water leaking from the roof at the newly built Indoor Badminton Stadium. Leaks were spotted at different parts of the Badminton hall near the seats. But, fortunately did not interrupted the games.

5 athletes were downed with minor food poisoning.

At the 2014 Sukma Games in Perlis, three woman athletes: weightlifter Jelinie Empera (Sarawak), Siti Fazera Ishak (Perlis) and cyclist Dhia Dainal Kharil (Federal Territory) were tested positive for banned substances and had their respective medals stripped. Twenty-one-year-old Jelinie, who was crowned Sportswoman of the games, was stripped off her records and gold medal. The results showed that Dhia and Jelinie had traces of Anabolic steroids . While Siti Fazera's sample containing diuretic, often used as masking agent.