PENANG got its medal campaign at the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor off to a promising start today, collecting three bronze medals through strong performances in judo and taekwondo.
Judoka Ashley Gan Jia Hui, 17, opened Penang’s medal account by clinching bronze in the women’s individual Under-44kg category.
Her success was quickly followed by another bronze from fellow judoka Ng Wei Rou, 15, who finished third in the women’s individual Under-48kg event.
Taekwondo exponent Laksman Om Prakash, 16, then completed Penang’s medal haul for the day by securing bronze in the men’s individual Under-54kg category.
For Gan, the medal represents another milestone in a sporting journey that began when she first took up judo at just five years old.
The former SMJK Heng Ee student in Jelutong, who recently completed her SPM, is now working full-time as a coach at Budo Academy in Tanjung Tokong.
Following her bronze-medal triumph, Gan dedicated her achievement to her mother and sister, thanking them for their unwavering support throughout her journey.
She also expressed her gratitude to the Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP) for providing her with opportunities to develop her talent, as well as her Japanese coach, Matsaka Chikara, for his guidance and encouragement.
For Ng, today’s achievement was particularly special as she became a major-competition medallist for the first time.
Judo runs deep in the Ng family. Her two elder brothers, Ng Yi Heng and Ng Yi Xuan, both won gold medals for Penang at the previous edition of Sukma, providing the young judoka with strong inspiration to follow in their footsteps.
A student of SMJK Union, Ng started learning judo at the age of eight and said she now hopes to emulate her idol, Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed, who recently created history by winning Malaysia’s first-ever judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The Penang Judo Association deputy president Justin Khoo expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance and congratulated all the medal winners.
He said the immediate priority today was to get Penang on the medal table, while the focus would now turn to tomorrow’s and subsequent events as the athletes continue their pursuit of more gold medals.
Penang enters the Sukma judo competition with a formidable reputation, having won six gold medals at the previous edition to emerge as the overall judo champion.
Meanwhile, Laksman admitted that he was disappointed after losing to Johor in his Under-54kg bout and having to settle for bronze.
Nevertheless, the young taekwondo exponent found comfort in the support of his family, with his parents and his 18-year-old elder brother, Tanesh Om Prakash, who is also a state athlete, making the trip to the venue to cheer him on.
The presence of family and supporters provided an added boost for Penang’s young athletes as they began their Sukma campaign on a positive note.
Penang Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen and Penang Sukma contingent chef de mission Joseph Ng Soon Siang, who is also the Air Itam assemblyman, were also at the venue today to lend their support and cheer on the Penang contingent.
With three bronze medals already secured, Penang will now look to build on the momentum as its athletes continue their battle for gold across the remaining days of Sukma Selangor 2026.
Story by Riadz Akmal