KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has made a commitment to support local football clubs by facilitating the upgrade of their pitches to utilise Zeon Zoysia, a superior alternative to the commonly found cow grass, or Axonopus compressus, in Malaysian stadiums.
The minister said that her ministry is currently in discussions with state executives to bring the idea to fruition, with the aim of elevating the competitive standards in the Malaysian football league.
“We now have a nursery field, and at the ministry level, we are working hard to standardise these pitches, so that all Malaysian football teams and their players can experience the quality of an international-grade pitch.
“The pitch will benefit our Malaysian players who have the potential to be absorbed by the national squad in the future, especially since we have also upgraded the Bukit Jalil National Stadium pitch with Zeon Zoysia.
“This transition is an essential step forward for the sport in our country, and we are working closely with the state excos to make this happen,” said Hannah during the official launch of the newly upgraded pitch at the Bukit Jalil Stadium today.
Hannah also said that her ministry is open to assisting local football clubs in improving the infrastructure of their stadiums, recognising the financial challenges many of these clubs face.
“We are aware that many clubs are struggling to secure funds for improving the basic facilities in their stadiums.
“To be honest, the cost of refurbishing a stadium isn’t cheap. Even we had to spend RM4.7 million to renovate our national stadium.
“While we may not be able to provide such a large grant for each club to undergo refurbishment, we will certainly help them with a percentage of the funds so that they can work on whatever is necessary for the stadium’s improvement,” Hannah added.
Last year, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim sponsored the renovation cost to replace the cow grass pitch at the national stadium with Zeon Zoysia, a gift to the Harimau Malaya, following concerns about the poor condition of the pitch during the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The existing Zeon Zoysia grass at the stadium is also being used at the JDT-owned Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.
It is understood the estimated cost of renovating the pitch was RM1.5 million, with an additional estimation of RM300,000 required annually to maintain its quality.
Malaysia Stadium Corp has spent RM4.7 million in extensive refurbishment since June last year, including on upgrades to the field drainage system, electrical infrastructure, protective fencing, locker rooms, and restroom facilities. – October 12, 2023