Sabah record 52-medal haul at Special Olympics National Games

30 April 2026

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah athletes delivered an impressive performance at the 6th Special Olympics Malaysia National Games held in Bintulu, Sarawak, from 24 to 26 April, winning a total of 52 medals.

The contingent secured 23 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Special Olympics Sabah fielded one of the largest contingents, comprising 44 athletes, 15 officials and eight escorts. The team was led by head of contingent Rusmani Binijin and head coach Willey Taluan.

Representing the districts of Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau and Kudat, the Sabah squad was further strengthened by the inclusion of Unified Partners, alongside several debutants competing at the national level.

Sabah competed in six sports — Track & Field, Aquatics, Bocce, Ten-Pin Bowling, Badminton, and Unified Football 5-A-Side — with athletes demonstrating strong determination, sportsmanship and competitiveness throughout the competition.

Track & Field emerging as the biggest contributor with 11 golds, followed by Bocce with 6 golds, Badminton with 3 golds and Ten-Pin Bowling with 2 golds.

Sabah Medal Breakdown: Track & Field: 11 golds, 5 silvers, 5 bronzes; Aquatics: 1 silver, 1 bronze; Bocce: 6 golds, 4 silvers; Ten-Pin Bowling: 2 golds, 3 silvers, 5 bronzes; Badminton: 3 golds, 1 silver, 4 bronzes and Unified Football 5-A-Side: 4th Place.

A total of 11 contingents participated in the Games, namely Sarawak, Sabah, Kedah, Labuan, Selangor, Putrajaya, Melaka, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Pahang.