KUALA LUMPUR – Pressure by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on the Malaysian Stadium Corp (PSM) to have the Merdeka Tournament at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium resulted in embarrassing scenes when the newly turfed pitch started coming apart.
A highly placed source in the football fraternity said PSM was considering contingency plans in case the pitch at the national stadium in KL Sports City was not ready to be played on for the opening fixture of the Merdeka Tournament between Malaysia and India on Friday.
It is understood that Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Sultan Ibrahim stadium was one of the options for hosting the tournament.
However, FAM insisted on playing the match at the 87,000-capacity Bukit Jalil stadium since the Sultan Ibrahim stadium could only accommodate 40,000 fans, said the source.
According to sources, the Zeon Zoysia grass used on the pitch for the opening fixture had not fully grown in the nursery before it was planted at the Bukit Jalil ground.
Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who had sponsored the zeon zoysia grass, had even posted his remarks on social media that he would have waited a few months before using the pitch.
The source said the grass was not ready in the nursery, and it was impossible for it to grow swiftly just before the tournament.
“PSM had to purchase ready-made grass for RM600,000 from Thailand specifically for the Merdeka Tournament.
“Friday’s game might not have even happened if PSM hadn’t made that decision,” said the source.
The source added that the ready-made pitch was only partially equipped for the tournament, and the stadium’s infrastructure did not allow the grass to be stabilised to the ground.
“The pitch was only 80-85% ready for the tournament, and with the weather conditions, especially heavy rains and a lack of sunlight, it was challenging for the grass to take root.
“Although the middle of the pitch is in fantastic condition, the grass doesn’t receive full sunlight on the further side of the field, especially at the corner sides.
Meanwhile, Scoop learned that PSM purchased grow lights ahead of the Merdeka Tournament, which took three weeks to arrive.
“The grow lights arrived about four days ago, and there wasn’t enough time to provide sunlight to the grass before the tournament.
“With the grow lights that PSM currently has, the field will be able to become a world-class pitch in a couple of months,” said a source.
PSM chairman Datuk Hans Isaac was tight-lipped when contacted.
“We are in the midst of resolving this issue and will be having a meeting tomorrow (today) to discuss the next steps regarding this field,” he said.
Last year, Tunku Ismail agreed to sponsor the renovation cost to replace the cow grass pitch at Bukit Jalil with the RM1 million zeon zoysia as a gift to the Harimau Malaya after the pitch was observed to be in poor condition during the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The current zeon zoysia grass at the stadium is also used at the JDT-owned Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.
It is understood that the estimated cost of renovating the pitch was RM1.5 million, and it takes RM300,000 to maintain its quality.
PSM has spent RM4.7 million since June last year as the stadium underwent extensive refurbishment, including work on the replacement of the field drainage system, the stadium’s electrical system, the protection fence, locker rooms, and restroom facilities.
Malaysia are set to face Tajikistan in the final match of the 42nd edition of the Merdeka Tournament on October 17, 2023. – October 15, 2023