Johor poised for another SUKMA spectacle after more than two decades

JOHOR BAHRU (7 AUGUST 2019): The countdown for the 20th edition of the Malaysia Games (SUKMA XX) has officially kicked off with the unveiling of its logo and mascot at Impiana Hotel, Senai today.

Johor will be hosting this biennial event for only the second time since its inauguration in 1986. Johor first hosted for the Games’ fourth edition in 1992. The organizing committee this time round has vowed to put on another impressive show for the SUKMA’s second coming to the southern state.

Johor Chief Minister YAB Dato’ Dr. Sahruddin Jamal is confident all Malaysians will experience the hype of SUKMA XX as it inches closer. The promise of a sporting spectacle will be upon us when the Games begin on 11 July 2020.

“We want to involve the entire country and look to inculcate the sporting mindset for the next generation beyond the one-week period of SUKMA XX,” said Sahruddin during his speech today.

“With the present and newly built state-of-the-art infrastructure available, Johor will definitely become a sporting powerhouse in the near future, be it for hosting world-class events or simply developing future talents for the country.”

He added: “SUKMA XX is a prestigious event and a milestone for Malaysia and we Johoreans take much pride in being given the opportunity to showcase our ability to enliven the occasion and atmosphere for the entire community.”

Thirty-eight fully equipped sporting venues around Johor will be utilized for the 30 disciplines which will be contested by the 14 states and Brunei involving 11,000 athletes when the Games officially open its doors next year.

The mascot of the SUKMA XX Johor 2020, Jimi

Johor’s Youth, Sports, Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman YB Tuan Sheikh ‘Umar Bagharib Ali believes the hosts are more than capable of competing in all sport disciplines.

“Youths are the future and SUKMA XX is the perfect platform for them to showcase their talents and capabilities. I am certain we will discover many young athletes with potential in the many different events scheduled for the Games,” Sheikh ‘Umar said.

“As a state, we are continuously growing in all aspects and the sports scene is an area where we all want to thrive in. More and more world-class athletes are being produced and groomed which will undeniably bloom when the SUKMA stage is set.”

During the ceremony, Jimi the Tiger was unveiled as the official Games mascot symbolizing the state’s long-standing Southern Tigers tradition. Portraying a fierce and brave character, Jimi truly represents the Johor identity with ancient Sultanate symbols of palms while sporting a modern fashioned track suit for a friendly and fun approach.

The SUKMA XX logo was also introduced featuring the Jawi alphabet ‘Jim’ which represents Johor as the hosts where this respective form of writing is still practiced today and also to resemble the global sports symbol of a torch. The dots and leaves detailing the torch’s flame signifies the gambier flower and black pepper which are natural treasures synonymous with the state.

The Games slogan, ‘Semarak Juara’ (The Glory of Champions) is also boldly featured at the bottom of the logo denoting the call of taking on the challenge to empower sports and celebrating sportsmanship.

Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn Bhd (“KPRJ”) through its subsidiary company, Sports Johor Sdn Bhd (“SJSB”) will act as the secretariat for the SUKMA XX having the expertise and experience of being the catalyst for all sports and athlete development programmes in the state.

According to Chief Executive Officer of SUKMA XX JOHOR 2020 Secretariat Tuan Haji ‘On Bin Jabbar, “KPRJ and SJSB are always supportive towards the organization of sporting events in Johor. These efforts are to empower sports as an industry which can change lifestyles and unite the Johor community towards a more holistic sports growth in 2030.”

Before the proceedings ended, guests and members of the media were treated to a montage presentation explaining the rationale of both the mascot and logo before the prize presentation ceremony to the winner of the logo design contest.