“WE have proven it!” – that was the proud expression of Malaysian Contingent head Sarkunan Balakrishnan, after the national team wrapped up the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Deaf Games here with an impressive haul of 25 gold medals, 16 silver medals and 11 bronze medals, emerging as the overall champion.
Sarkunan said this extraordinary achievement deserves recognition from the government through special incentives and rewards for the athletes, coaches, and officials who brought glory to the country.
“We truly hope that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Malaysian government and related parties can provide incentives or rewards as bonuses or tokens of appreciation. This would encourage the growth of deaf sports and motivate our athletes, coaches and officials,” he told Bernama and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
He also urged state governments to support their respective deaf sports associations, noting that each state association faces heavy financial demands when sending athletes to tournaments.
Malaysia closed this second edition of the Games in style, far surpassing the initial target of 16 gold medals. The triumph was made even sweeter by breaking the previous record of 15 golds set in the inaugural edition in Kuala Lumpur in 2022.
The 25th gold medal was delivered by female bowler Siw Sing Hie, who dominated the Masters event with a total of 1,491 pinfalls.
Overall, Malaysia’s medal tally was driven by strong performances in athletics (10 golds), bowling (8 golds), chess (5 golds) and badminton (2 golds).
Sarkunan, who is also Malaysian Deaf Sports Association (MSDeaf) vice-president, emphasised that this success reflects the impact of the government’s increased support, which has strengthened long-term training and development programmes for deaf athletes.
Malaysia will now shoulder greater responsibility after being named host of the 2027 SEA Deaf Games in Penang, where six new events, including orienteering and e-sports, are expected to be contested.
“We will work closely with the Malaysian government and the Penang government to ensure the Games are organised systematically and optimally,” he said.
With this achievement, Malaysia not only reaffirms its status as a regional powerhouse in deaf sports but also proves that its deaf athletes can stand proudly on par with any other contingent in the region. – Bernama