Sports in Malaysia are an important part of

Malaysian culture The culture of Malaysia draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia. The first people to live in the area were indigenous tribes that still remain; they were followed by the Malays, who moved there from mainland Asia in anc ...

. Sports in Malaysia are popular from both the participation and spectating aspect.

Malaysians Malaysians are nationals and citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and overseas Malaysians may also claim a Malaysian identity. The country is h ...

from different walks of life join in a wide variety of sports for

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

as well as for competition. In the broadest definition of sports—

physical exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

of all sorts—the four most popular recreational sports among the general population of Malaysia are exercise walking,

aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities, cardio or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, inv ...

strength training Strength training or resistance training involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and endurance. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate a variety of training te ...

, and running. Other most popular sports are

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...

, swimming,

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

, hiking, fishing,

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

and

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...

. In the spectating aspect, the

spectator sport A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its competitions. Spectator sports may be professional sports or amateur sports. They often are distinguished from participant sports, which are m ...

s with most fans are association football,

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

, badminton, volleyball,

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

, basketball and

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

. Malaysia has hosted several major sports events including the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

in 1998.

Individual sports

Outdoor sports

In the broadest definition of sports—

of all sorts—the four most popular recreational sports among the general population of Malaysia are exercise walking,

, and running. Most Malaysians live in housing areas with amenities such as

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to re ...

pedestrian zone Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...

health club A health club (also known as a fitness club, fitness center, health spa, and commonly referred to as a gym) is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise. In recent years, the number of fitness and health se ...

s and sport complexes nearby. Other most popular sports are

, swimming,

, hiking and fishing.

Scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

is another recreation, particularly around the southeastern region of Sabah (on the island of Borneo).

Paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...

was recently introduced sport in Malaysia which is gaining popularity when many flying locations were developed around the country.

Racquet sports

The

Malaysia national badminton team The Malaysia national badminton team is a badminton team that plays for Malaysia in international competitions. The men's team has enjoyed immense success, having won the Thomas Cup five times, most recently in 1992 and became runner-up nine times ...

has won 6 silver medals and 3 bronze medals in badminton in the Olympic Games since the sport was first introduced to the Olympics in 1992. In 1992

Razif Sidek Datuk Razif Sidek (born 29 May 1962) is a former badminton player from Malaysia and coach. Personal life He is the second eldest of the famous five Sidek brothers. Razif and his siblings gained exposure about badminton sport from their fathe ...

and

Jalani Sidek Datuk Jalani Sidek (born 12 November 1964) is a former badminton player from Malaysia and coach. Personal life He is the third eldest of the five Sidek brothers. Jalani and his siblings gained exposure about badminton sport from their fathe ...

won the bronze medal in men's doubles. In 1996,

Rashid Sidek Datuk Abdul Rashid bin Mohd Sidek (born 6 July 1968) is a Malaysian former badminton player and coach. Personal life He is the youngest of the famous five Sidek brothers. Rashid and his siblings gained exposure to badminton from their fat ...

won the bronze medal in men's singles while

Cheah Soon Kit Datuk Cheah Soon Kit (Current name: / Birth name: ) (born 9 January 1968) is a former Malaysian badminton player and coach. Career Known for his amazing jumping smash, Soon Kit was one of the top doubles stars in the world in his heyday. ...

and Yap Kim Hock won the silver medal in men's doubles.

Lee Chong Wei Datuk Lee Chong Wei (; born 21 October 1982) is a Malaysian former badminton player. As a singles player, Lee was ranked first worldwide for 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012. He is the fifth Mala ...

won three silver medals in men's singles each in 2008, 2012 and 2016. In 2016,

Chan Peng Soon Chan Peng Soon (born 27 April 1988) is a Malaysian badminton player specialised in the mixed doubles event. He is best known for his partnership with Goh Liu Ying where they have been consistently ranked among the top 10 mixed doubles pair in ...

and

Goh Liu Ying Goh Liu Ying (born 30 May 1989) is a Malaysian badminton player. She has been consistently ranked among the top 10 mixed doubles player in the world with her partner, Chan Peng Soon. Together, they were ranked as high as world No. 3. They won ...

won silver medals in mixed doubles while

Tan Wee Kiong Tan Wee Kiong (; born 21 May 1989) is a Malaysian badminton player in the doubles event. He is well-known for his former partnership with Goh V Shem, which began at the 2014 Thomas Cup. Together, Tan and Goh won the gold medal in the men's ...

and

Goh V Shem Goh V Shem (; born Goh Wei Shem, 20 May 1989) is a Malaysian badminton player in the doubles event. He was partnered with Tan Wee Kiong after their outstanding performance at the 2014 Thomas Cup. Together, Goh and Tan won the gold medal for ...

won silver medals in men's doubles. In 2021,

Aaron Chia Aaron Chia Teng Fong (Chinese: 谢定峰, born 24 February 1997) is a Malaysian badminton player. He joined the national team since 2015. He represented Malaysia in the 2018 Thomas Cup. Chia and his partner Soh Wooi Yik were the All England O ...

and

Soh Wooi Yik Soh Wooi Yik (, born 17 February 1998) is a Malaysian badminton player. He was part of the Malaysian 2015 and 2016 BWF World Junior Championships team, and has helped Malaysia clinch a silver medal in mixed team after being defeated by China in ...

won bronze medal in Men's Doubles. In singles, the top men's shuttler is world number 5

Lee Zii Jia Lee Zii Jia (, born 29 March 1998) is a Malaysian badminton player. He was the men's singles gold medalist at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and won his first BWF Super 1000 title at the 2021 All England Open. Lee is the reigning men's singles ...

while Malaysia's best women's singles shuttler is Soniia Cheah ranked world number 39. National top men's doubles pair,

and

are placed world number 6 followed by

Ong Yew Sin Ong Yew Sin (born 30 January 1995) is a Malaysian badminton player. He won a bronze medal with Teo Ee Yi at the 2021 BWF World Championships. Career Together with Teo Ee Yi, they won the 2016 Bitburger Open and earned a silver and a bronze m ...

and

Teo Ee Yi Teo Ee Yi (; born 4 April 1993) is a Malaysian badminton player. Teo won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships with his partner Ong Yew Sin. In the junior event, he captured the golds medal at the 2011 World Junior Championships in ...

who are ranked world number 10 and also followed by

Goh Sze Fei Goh Sze Fei ( zh, t=吳世飛, p=Wú Shìfēi; born 18 August 1997) is a Malaysian badminton player. He won the 2022 German Open in the men's doubles event partnered with Nur Izzuddin, their first BWF World Tour title. Early life Goh finis ...

and

Nur Izzuddin Nur Izzuddin bin Mohd Rumsani (born 11 November 1997) is a Malaysian badminton player. He won the 2022 German Open in the men's doubles event partnered with Goh Sze Fei. Career In January 2017, Izzuddin and his partner Goh Sze Fei entere ...

who are ranked world number 12 while the top women's doubles pair,

Pearly Tan Pearly Tan Koong Le (; born 14 March 2000) is a Malaysian badminton player who entered the national team in 2013. She was the gold medalists in the women's doubles and mixed team event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In the junior event, she wo ...

and

Thinaah Muralitharan Thinaah Muralitharan (born 3 January 1998) is a Malaysian badminton player who entered the national team in 2013. She was the gold medalists in the women's doubles and mixed team event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Career In 2021, Muralitha ...

are ranked world number 10 and mixed doubles pair,

and

are ranked world number 8 followed by world number 9 pair Tan Kian Meng and

Lai Pei Jing Lai Pei Jing (; born 8 August 1992) is a Malaysian badminton player who played in the doubles events. She started her career in the women's singles event. She briefly partnered Chan Peng Soon in mid-2014 and in August that year, they reached a ...

in the

BWF World Ranking The BWF World Ranking is the official ranking of the Badminton World Federation for badminton players who participate in tournaments sanctioned by Badminton World Federation. It is used to determine the qualification for the World Championships an ...

(as of 17 May 2022). The Malaysia national badminton team is ranked world number 7 in the BWF World Team Ranking (as of 3 August 2021). Malaysia has won the

Thomas Cup The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the sport's global governing body. The championships h ...

, the world men's team trophy, five times since it was first contested in

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

and has been runner-up nine times as of 2014. Malaysia also holds its own annual international badminton tournament, the Malaysia Open, now part of the

Badminton World Federation The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport of badminton recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation (IBF) with nine member ...

Super Series The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on the NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception w ...

of top world class events. Squash Stars Meet the Stars Session 1 cropped

Squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

in Malaysia is governed by the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM). The Kuala Lumpur Open and Malaysian Open are annual squash tournaments held in Malaysia. The

Malaysia men's national squash team The Malaysia men's national squash team represents Malaysia in international squash team competitions, and is governed by Squash Racquets Association Of Malaysia. Since 1967, Malaysia has participated in six quarter finals of the World Squash Te ...

has reached the quarterfinal stage at the

World Team Squash Championships The WSF World Team Squash Championships are an international squash competition organised by the World Squash Federation (WSF) and played between teams representing different nations. Countries enter teams of three or four players to represent t ...

six times. The men's team has won the Asian Squash Team Championships three times. The

Malaysia women's national squash team The Malaysia women's national squash team represents Malaysia in international squash team competitions, and is governed by Squash Racquets Association Of Malaysia. Since 1990, Malaysia has participated in one finals of the World Squash Team Op ...

has won the silver medal once and bronze medal at the

four times. The women's team has won the Asian Squash Team Championships seven times.

Nicol David Datuk Nicol Ann David (born August 26, 1983) is a retired female Malaysian professional squash player. Beginning in August 2006, David was the world number one for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months, finally ceding the ranking in Septembe ...

is an eight-time world champion and ranked world number 1 in woman squash since 2006. Her compatriots Low Wee Wern and

Delia Arnold Delia Arnold (born 26 January 1986, in Kuala Lumpur) is a former professional squash player who represented Malaysia. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 12. Career Arnold, coached by Ahmed Malik and Peter Genever began playin ...

are ranked world number 7 and 28, respectively in the

WSA World Rankings The Official Women's Squash World Ranking is the official world ranking for women's squash. The ranking is to rate the performance level of female professional squash player. It is also a merit-based method used for determining entry and seeding in ...

(as of January 2015). Male squash players

Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan Mohamad Nafiizwan bin Mohamad Adnan (born 24 April 1986 in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu), known as Nafiizwan Adnan and nicknamed The Komodo, is a professional squash player who has represented Malaysia. He reached a career-high world ranking o ...

and

Ong Beng Hee Ong Beng Hee (born 4 February 1980, in Penang, Malaysia) is a retired professional squash player and coach. Between 2000 and 2006, he won four consecutive Asian Championship titles. In 2002 and 2006 he won gold medals at the Asian Games. He won ...

are ranked world number 32 and 34, respectively in the PSA World Rankings (as of January 2015).

Precision sports

Hizlee Rais is ranked world number three in the World Bowls Singles Ranking List (as of 20 April 2013).

Cycle sports

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Azizulhasni Awang Dato' Muhammad Azizulhasni bin Awang (born 5 January 1988) is a Malaysian professional track cyclist. Nicknamed "The Pocket Rocketman" due to his small stature, he is the first and the only Malaysian cyclist to win a medal at the Summer Ol ...

made history for winning the first Olympic bronze medal in a cycling event. In

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

made history again for winning the silver medal in 2021 Olympic men's keirin final. Malaysia hosts two international road cycling tours: the annual

Tour de Langkawi The Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage bicycle race held in Malaysia. It is named after the archipelago Langkawi, where the first edition started and finished. The race has been held annually since 1996, primarily in February. It usually con ...

and

Jelajah Malaysia The Jelajah Malaysia is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Malaysia since 1963. The race is part of the UCI Asia Tour and was classified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a 2.2 category races. The race exists ...

. Both races are part of the UCI Asia Tour. The Tour de Langkawi is the biggest cycling event in Asia and it is the one of five two hors-category (

2.HC The UCI 1.HC and UCI 2.HC are the second tier classification of road cycling races by the UCI, after the UCI World Tour (or its predecessor, the UCI ProTour). The races are part of the various UCI Continental Circuits. The 1.HC events are one-day ...

) classified races in Asia. The Jelajah Malaysia is the oldest bicycle race in Malaysia, touring around Malaysia. Track cycling is a growing sport in Malaysia. Malaysia has several velodromes such as National Velodrome at

Nilai Nilai is a town located in Seremban District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, close to the border with Selangor. It is the northern suburb within the Seremban metropolitan area. Due to its proximity to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, it ...

and

Velodrome Rakyat The Velodrome Rakyat is a velodrome in Ipoh, Malaysia, and was the first velodrome to be built in that country. Tan Sri Dato' Seri Darshan Singh Gill, President of the Perak Cycling Association, identified the need for a velodrome in the coun ...

Ipoh , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Ipoh in Perak , pushpin_map = #Malaysia#Asia#Earth , pushpin_mapsize = 275px , pushpin_map_caption = Ipoh in Malaysia , coordinates ...

The Velodrome Rakyat is also Malaysia's first velodrome. Extreme cycling, such as

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

and urban

freestyle BMX Freestyle BMX is bicycle motocross stunt riding on BMX bikes. It is an extreme sport descended from BMX racing that consists of five disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, and flatland. In June 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced t ...

is also popular among youth in main cities in Malaysia. Riding bicycles is considered a mode of transportation as well as a recreational and leisure sport.

Josiah Ng Josiah Ng Onn Lam (, born 2 February 1980) is a retired Malaysian professional track cyclist. Josiah was the first Malaysian to make it into the cycling Olympic finals becoming a three-time Olympian, representing Malaysia at Athens 2004, Bei ...

Mohd Rizal Tisin Mohammad Rizal bin Tisin (born 20 June 1984 in Klang, Selangor) is a Malaysian professional track cyclist. He represented his nation Malaysia at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later established the nation's historic milestone as the first Mal ...

, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom,

Fatehah Mustapa Fatehah Mustapa (born 12 March 1989 in Terengganu) is a retired Malaysian track cyclist. She competed in the keirin race at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she placed 15th. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she reached the bronze medal race in ...

and

Jupha Somnet Jupha Somnet ( th, ยุพา สมเนตร, ; born 26 April 1993) is a Malaysian road and track cyclist. She won the silver medal in the points race and the bronze medal in the scratch at the 2016 Asian Cycling Championships. Early life J ...

are among the top track cyclists in Malaysia.

Loh Sea Keong Loh Sea Keong (; born 11 February 1986) is a Malaysian professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . In the 2013 Jelajah Malaysia race, Loh made history by becoming the first Malaysian rider to win the competition, a Uni ...

won the general classification and Asian rider classification at the 2013 Jelajah Malaysia.

Mohamed Harrif Salleh Mohamed Harrif Saleh (born 15 September 1988) is a Malaysian professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . Major results ;2007 : 1st Scratch, Asian Track Championships : 1st Team pursuit, Southeast Asian Games ...

and Mohamed Zamri Salleh won the points classification and mountain classification respectively at the 2013 Jelajah Malaysia.

Water sports

Pandelela Rinong Dato Pandelela Rinong Pamg, (born 2 March 1993) is a Malaysian diver. She has won two Olympic medals and seven World Championships medals. Pandelela represented Malaysia at the 2008 Summer Olympics where she finished 27th in 10m platform. S ...

took a bronze medal in 10-metre platform event at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. She became the first female Malaysian athlete to win a medal at the Olympics, as well as the first to win an Olympic medal in any sport other than Badminton. Bryan Nickson Lomas, Yeoh Ken Nee,

Leong Mun Yee Datuk Leong Mun Yee (, born 4 December 1984) is a retired Malaysian diver. She competed at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics with the best result of seventh place in the 10 m synchronised platform event in 2012. Her appearance at the 2 ...

, Cheong Jun Hoong,

Traisy Vivien Tukiet Traisy Vivien Tukiet (born 17 February 1994) is a Malaysian diver. She competed in the 10 metre platform event at the 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 201 ...

and Nur Dhabitah Sabri are among the top divers in Malaysia.

Extreme sports

Abdil Mahzan was the leader of 2012 World Cup Points final standings. Abdil Mahzan earned the title of IGSA World Cup Series Champion in the street luge event. His personal best maximum speed is 131 km/h, achieved at the 2011 IGSA World Championship in Teutonia, Brazil.

Endurance sports

Malaysia host some international marathon event such as the Kuala Lumpur Marathon, Borneo International Marathon and Penang Bridge International Marathon.

Combat sports

The indigenous martial art of Silat is widely practiced throughout Malaysia. Among Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians, a wide variety of Chinese martial arts, Chinese and Indian martial arts is also popular, such as the art of Silambam among Malaysians of Tamil Indian origin. In the northern states of peninsular Malaysia, i.e., Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, which were historically influenced by the neighbouring Thai culture, the Thai national sport of muay Thai is practiced. Locally, it is known as ''tomoi'', which is the Malay rendition of the term ''toi muay'' ( th, ต่อยมวย, ), an alternative name for muay Thai.

Motor sports

Malaysian Grand Prix (Formula One), A1 Grand Prix and Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix are held at the Sepang International Circuit. Malaysian Grand Prix was first included in the List of Formula One Grands Prix, Formula One World Championship in 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix, 1999. Since then, it has been held annually at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia until 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, 2017 A1 Team Malaysia was the Malaysian A1 Grand Prix team. Alex Yoong, Fairuz Fauzy, Nabil Jeffri, Jazeman Jaafar, Nazim Azman and Weiron Tan are among the top race car drivers in Malaysia. In 2018, Malaysian trio of Nabil Jeffri, Jazeman Jaafar and Weiron Tan won the 2018 6 Hours of Fuji in the LMP2 Class during the fourth round of 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship, becoming the first Malaysian drivers to win a FIA World Endurance Championship race. Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Hafizh Syahrin and Khairul Idham Pawi are the top Malaysian motorcycle racers. Khairul Idham Pawi became the first ever Malaysian to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the Moto3 class in 2016 Moto3 World Championship, 2016 Moto3 in 2016 Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix at Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo and 2016 German motorcycle Grand Prix at Sachsenring. Hafizh Syahrin became the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian rider to compete in the MotoGP premier class in 2018 MotoGP World Championship, 2018 for Tech3, Yamaha Tech3 and 2019 MotoGP World Championship, 2019 for Tech3, KTM Tech3.

Air sports

Paragliding was introduced into Malaysia circa 2005 as an extreme sport but gradually grew into becoming a recreational sport among outdoor enthusiasts, gaining wide public awareness and participation through social media awareness. Currently there are 17 flying sites around Malaysia were properly developed to facilitate the activities and they are rated according to their level of difficulties. Over the years, independent organisations such as flying schools, clubs and associations were formed to help develop the sport in terms of its safety standards, pilot training and public awareness.
Paragliders Malaysia
(PGMY)
Malaysia Sports Aviation Federation
(MSAF), Persatuan Luncur Udara Malaysia (PLUM), Persatuan Luncur Udara Terangganu (PLUT) and Persatuan Luncur Udara Sabah (PLUS) are among the many established organisations working together to develop the paragliding sport in Malaysia. Several international paragliding competitions were held in Malaysia since 2013 such as Bahau International Paragliding Competition (2013), Jugra International Paragliding Accuracy Championship (2015)
Paragliding Accuracy World Championship
(2015).

Team sports

Football

The Malaysia national football team (nicknamed ''Harimau Malaya'') represents Malaysia at an international level. The national team captured the country's first major international football title when they became the champion of 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. The Malaysia national under-23 football team won a gold medal in Football at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games, 2009 and Football at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, 2011 Southeast Asian Games. The Malaysia national team has qualified for the Asian Cup in 1976, 1980 and 2007 AFC Asian Cup, however, they have never been able to go through to next stage. In the FIFA World Rankings, Malaysia's highest standing was in the first release of the figures, in August 1993, at 75th. It is ranked 153rd in the world and 31st in Asia (as of 18 February 2021). The Malaysia women's national football team is ranked 92nd in the world and 18th in Asia in the FIFA Women's World Rankings (as of 25 June 2021). The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is the governing body for football in Malaysia. The home stadium of Malaysia national football team is the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Premier League and Malaysia FAM League is a professional football league in Malaysia. Some of the major teams include: Melaka United F.C., Kelantan FA, Terengganu FA, Selangor FA, Penang FA, Kedah FA, Perak FA, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C., Kuala Lumpur FA and Negeri Sembilan FA. Johor Darul Ta'zim as the 2016 Malaysia Super League champions and the 2016 Malaysia FA Cup then became the only club from Malaysia to become the 2015 AFC Cup champion after beating FC Istiklol 1-0. In 2022 AFC Champions League, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. became the first club from Malaysia to reach the Round of 16 in AFC Champions League after beating the likes of Ulsan Hyundai FC, Kawasaki Frontale and Guangzhou Evergrande to top the group of Group I in 2022 AFC Champions League

Hockey

Malaysia was a founding member of the Asian Hockey Federation. The Malaysia men's national field hockey team, national team is Malaysia's representative in

tournaments around the world. In the usual course of things, the team is made up of the best field hockey players in Malaysia. The governing body for the sports is the Malaysian Hockey Confederation. The Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) is a top league competition for field hockey clubs in the Malaysian hockey league system. At the present time, the men's hockey team is ranked 13th in the world and 3rd in Asia in the FIH World Rankings (as of May 2019). The team won a silver medal in Field hockey at the 2010 Asian Games, 2010 Asian Games. The Malaysia women's national field hockey team is ranked 22nd in the world and 5th in Asia in the FIH World Rankings (as of May 2019).

Basketball

Malaysia features multiple national teams for men and women, senior and junior levels. The Malaysia women's national basketball team, women's national team has traditionally been more successful than the Malaysia men's national basketball team, men's team as it has dominated the Basketball at the Southeast Asian Games, Women's tournament at the Southeast Asian Games on many occasions.

Netball

The Malaysia national netball team represents Malaysia in international competition. Malaysian Netball Association is the governing body for netball in Malaysia. The team is ranked 23rd in the world and 2nd in Asia in the INF World Rankings (as of 31 October 2014).

Rugby union

The Malaysia national rugby union team represents Malaysia in international

. The governing body is the Malaysian Rugby Union. The team is ranked 50th in the world and 4th in Asia in the IRB World Rankings (as of 2 August 2021). Malaysia have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, but have attempted to qualify since the 1995 Rugby World Cup, South African World Cup in 1995. MRU Super League is the top flight of rugby union league in Malaysia.

Sepaktakraw

Sepak takraw, Sepak Takraw in Malaysia is governed by ''Persatuan Sepaktakraw Malaysia'' (PSM). The men's team is ranked world number two in the ISTAF World Ranking (as of 13 November 2014). The women's team is ranked world number three in the ISTAF World Ranking (as of 13 November 2014).

Major sport events

Malaysia participates in international sporting event such as the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, the

and the Southeast Asian Games. Malaysia has hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games and came in fourth place in the medal tally. Malaysia also has hosted Southeast Asian Games five times and has become the overall champion in the gold medal tally in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games. Malaysia at the Olympics, Malaysian athletes have won a total of eleven Olympic medals, in badminton, cycling and Diving (sport), diving.

National Sports Day

The National Sports Day ( ms, Hari Sukan Negara) is a national sports day in Malaysia, held annually on the second Saturday in October, with the main objective of promoting a healthy lifestyle among its population. The first National Sports Day was held in 2015.

Sukma Games

The Sukma Games are a national biannual event held since 1986. The Para Sukma Games ( ms, Sukan Para Malaysia), is a multi-sport event held for Malaysian athletes with disabilities. The games was previously known as the National Games of Malaysia For the Disabled ( ms, Sukan Kebangsaan Bagi Orang Cacat Anggota Malaysia) from 1982 until 1998 and the Malaysian Paralympiad ( ms, Paralimpiad Malaysia) from 1998 until 2018 and held separately with Sukma Games until 2010 Sukma Games, 2010.

Sopma Games

Sopma Games ( ms, Sukan Orang Pekak Malaysia) are a national biannual event held for deaf athletes. It was previously known as the Deaf Interclub Sports Championship ( ms, Kejohanan Sukan Antara Kelab Pekak, KSAKP) from 1985 until 1990 and the National Deaf Games ( ms, Sukan Kebangsaan Orang Pekak, SKOP) from 1990 until 2009.

Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics

Malaysia first participated at the 1964 Summer Olympics, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which it 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, boycotted. Malaysia, since 2018, has taken part in the Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic Council of Malaysia is the National Olympic Committee for Malaysia. Malaysian athletes have won a total of eleven medals at the Summer Olympic Games. Eight medals have been won in badminton, two medals have been won in diving and one medal has been won in cycling. Malaysia made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1972 Summer Paralympics. The country was then absent for three consecutive editions of the Summer Paralympics, before making its return at the 1988 Summer Paralympics. Malaysia has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never entered the Winter Paralympics. Malaysian Paralympic Council is the National Paralympic Committee for Malaysia. Malaysian athletes have won a total of seven medals at the Paralympic Games: three gold, two silver and five bronze. Malaysia first participated at the 1993 Summer Deaflympics, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Deaflympic Games since then, except the 1997 Summer Deaflympics, 1997 and the 2013 Summer Deaflympics. The nation has never competed at the Winter Deaflympics. Malaysian Deaf Sports Association is the governing body of deaf sports for Malaysia. Malaysian athletes have won a total of eleven medals at the Deaflympic Games: one gold, seven silver and three bronze.

Hosted sports competitions

Sport media in Malaysia

On 28 July 1984, TV3 (Malaysia), TV3 became the first commercial channel in collaboration with Radio Televisyen Malaysia, RTM bringing Malaysians the live coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Olympics. The live coverage for multi-sport events and international championships always been done since then. On 25 March 2010, Astro Arena (TV channel), Astro Arena, the country's first local sports channel went on air. Astro Arena (Channel 801) a 24-hour local sports channel will be delivered predominantly in Malay and available to all Astro customers under its Family Pack. Astro Arena is featuring live local sports, a comprehensive 7-day a week coverage of local and international sports news, informative magazine and information programming and interactive viewer involvement.

References

External links

Ministry of Youth & Sports Malaysia

National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC)

sportsmalaysia.net

at The Encyclopedia of Malaysia {{DEFAULTSORT:Sport in Malaysia Sport in Malaysia,