Malaysia declines offer to host 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing cost

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Decision comes after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host last year.

Malaysia has turned down an offer to host the next Commonwealth Games, citing concerns about the cost of the quadrennial sporting event.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports said on Friday it had declined to step in as host after concluding that the Commonwealth Games Federation’s offer of 100 million pounds ($126.21m) in supporting funds would not cover the cost.

“Additionally, the economic impact could not be identified in this short timeframe,” the ministry said in a statement.

Malaysia was asked to host the event after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year after claiming the estimated cost had blown out by 6.9 billion Australian dollars ($4.5bn).

A report by Victoria’s Auditor-General’s Office released on Wednesday found that the cost estimate that resulted in the event’s cancellation was “overstated and not transparent”.