Most Popular Sports in Malaysia

Like in most countries, sport is central to social life in Malaysia. The Malaysian government has invested heavily over the years in order to grow national sports stars.

Last year, it was announced that the government had invested MYR72 million of its budget into sports ahead of this year’s Olympic Games. Not that Malaysians need encouragement, given that over half of the population engage in sports regularly.

Not only is sport a popular activity in Malaysia, but it is also popularly spectated and bet on. Crypto writer Michael Graw suggests that the best online casinos available to Malaysians come with sportsbooks. (Source: https://www.valuewalk.com/gambling/malaysia/online-casinos/) This allows Malaysian residents to easily place a bet on their football predictions while enjoying slots and table games, or even betting on eSports at some casinos.

While football gambling is popular, it is not the only popular sports betting option in Malaysia. Here are some of the most popular sports you can find in the Southeast Asian country:

Badminton

Football remains the most popular sport in Malaysia, but badminton is fast catching up. A recent study conducted by the International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences found that badminton was technically the third most popular sport in Malaysia, following football and futsal - which is a type of football.

The margin between the respondents who voted for futsal over badminton was just 2.5%, which conveys badminton’s growing dominance in the country.

Badminton in Malaysia dates back to 1809 and was originally known as Poona. Throughout the centuries since Malaysia has produced a wide range of notable badminton players. This includes Lee Chong Wei, who has won three silver Olympic medals during his career as a professional. He was ranked as the best badminton player in the world for a straight 199 weeks between 2008 and 2012.

Throughout his 19 years playing badminton, Lee Chong Wei has won a total of 705 games, which is very impressive. Other notable players from Malaysia include Goh Liu Ying, Rashid Sidek, and Tan Wee Kiong.

In terms of spectating, Malaysia hosts the annual Malaysia Open in various locations throughout the country. This competition is part of the BWF World Tour.

Football

As we already mentioned, football still dominates as the number one sport in Malaysia. However, that doesn’t mean that Malaysian players are as well recognized globally as the country’s other sports stars. According to FIFA rankings, the Malaysian national football team currently ranks 134/210. While this does not suggest Malaysia is one of the best teams in the world, they’re a long way off from being the worst.

Still, despite the average ranking, football is still massively popular in Malaysia. The country’s own football league, the Malaysia Super League, is massively popular amongst Malaysian sports fans. Plus, international leagues draw in a lot of viewers. Interestingly, the English Premier League is followed intently in Malaysia, with many sports fans watching, discussing, and betting on it regularly.

Sepak Takraw

As in many Southeast Asian countries, the sport Sepak Takraw still dominates as one of Malaysia’s most popular sports. This team sport sees players volleying a ball over a net using their hands, feet, knees, shoulders, and head. It’s a diverse sport that combines elements of gymnastics, football, and volleyball and, compared to the other sports on this list, is relatively new.

Although the sport dates back thousands of years, it was only standardized in 1960. Officials from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar - who all had separate histories with the sport - came together in 1960 to agree upon the official rules of the game. It was later introduced to the world during the 1965 Southeast Asian Games.

While Sepak Takraw hasn’t quite made it to the Olympics yet, it remains a prominent sport throughout the region. You’ll find the sport to be particularly popular in rural areas of Malaysia.

Basketball

Basketball is another sport that has gradually become popular in Malaysia over the last decade or so. The sport is particularly popular with 20-30-year-old Malaysians. A survey conducted in 2020 found that 31% of 21-29-year-olds in Malaysia consider themselves to be basketball fans, which is a higher level than ever.

It can only be assumed that this figure has increased in the years since 2020. It can also be assumed that the growing interest in basketball amongst the youth can be blamed for the establishment of a better-organized basketball association in 2023.

The Malaysia National Basketball League ran from 1981 to 2013. In the years immediately following this, no basketball leagues were held in the country. Four years later, the Malaysia Pro League was formed and then again replaced by the Major Basketball League in 2022.

This new league has attracted a passionate fanbase, which has further helped to boost the popularity of the sport in Malaysia.

Squash

Lastly, squash is another popular sport that is commonly played throughout Malaysia. Some of the country’s most famous sports stars are squash players. This includes the now-retired female squash champion Nicol David, who was the world number one squash player for a straight 108 months between 2006 and 2015 - almost a decade!

One of the country’s best sports stadiums is its squash grounds. The National Stadium - which is also known as the Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil - is a prominent landmark in the country. Not only used for squash, this stadium sits as one of the country’s main entertainment hubs. Last year, Coldplay broke attendance records when they played there, having played to 75k fans.

One of the biggest squash tournaments in the world takes place in Malaysia, the Malaysian Open Squash Championships. This major event has taken place annually since 1975.