KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The achievements of higher education institution (IPT) athletes on the international stage prove that university sports can serve as a breeding ground for quality talent to contribute to national sports excellence.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the success of IPT athletes in winning medals and setting or breaking records in various championships highlighted the immense potential of the country's students in sports.
He said the accomplishments of IPT athletes, including at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, demonstrated that university students were capable of competing and achieving success on the world stage.
"This is the true face of IPT sports that we want - a face that dares to challenge records and is capable of elevating Malaysia's name on the world stage," he said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Higher Education Institution Games (SUKIPT) 2026 at Universiti Malaya (UM) Arena here today.
Zambry noted that among the IPT athletes who achieved success were Muhammad Erry Hidayat from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), who won the gold medal in the men's 79-kilogramme (kg) weightlifting event, while Muhammad Aniq Kasdan from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) also delivered gold in the men's 60kg weightlifting event.
Zambry said Amir Daniel Abdul Majid from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) created history by winning gold in judo, becoming the first Malaysian athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold in the event, while Amirul Daniel Abdul Rahim from Universiti Malaya (UM) contributed a bronze in lawn bowls.
He added that IPT athletes also continued to display impressive performances domestically, with several records broken. These included national 400-metre runner Omar Osman from Politeknik Sultan Ibrahim, Muhammad Fadwah from UiTM, and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) sprinter Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Rosli, who broke two Malaysia Games (SUKMA) records in the 200m and 4x100m events.
SUKIPT 2026, held from Aug 28 to Sept 6 at Universiti Malaya, brings together 64 contingents comprising 20 public universities, 42 private higher education institutions, one polytechnic, and one community college to compete across 30 sports involving 8,244 athletes and officials.
Themed ‘Creating a Legacy of Champions’, the seventh edition offers 227 gold medals as well as cash incentives of RM3,000 each for Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Games, RM7,000 for Best Male and Female Team, and RM20,000 for athletes who break national records.
-- BERNAMA