KUALA LUMPUR – The Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) condemned teams expressing dissatisfaction with the postponement of its league at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium due to water-pump issues.
The association’s response follows the decision by three teams to withdraw from the KLHA league, claiming that the competition council failed to take proactive measures to inform them about the future of the league.
Speaking to Scoop, KLHA president I. Vikneswaran expressed disappointment at the teams’ complaints and appealed for collaborative support in resolving the issue.
He said the association was committed to finding a solution and pointed out that other teams were working together to address the matter.
“We have 17 teams in the league. Three of them expressed dissatisfaction through a portal, of which one of them is a council member who should have raised concerns during a council meeting but did not.
“Some teams suggested finding alternative venues, such as the Bukit Jalil National Stadium turf. However, they need to understand that the cost would be expensive, approximately RM250 per hour, and each game would last around one and a half hours.
“As an association, we need to ensure that we allocate funds to the development programmes rather than spending excessively on booking a turf. The league committee is led by Ferrenjit Singh, who is a specialist, and he is diligently doing his job to ensure the league resumes,” said Vikneswaran.
It is expected that about RM300,000 will be needed to repair the pumps.
As an interim solution, KLHA plans to restart its hockey league from January 6 onwards, with 26 uncompleted games to be held at the Pandamaran Stadium in Klang.
Vikneswaran clarified that this alternative was chosen due to budget constraints and the need to allocate funds for umpire payments and KLHA team participation in Malaysian Hockey Confederation tournaments.
He also mentioned that Kuala Lumpur City Hall informed them of the minimal funds available, and holding matches at the Pandamaran Stadium is the most cost-effective option compared to nearby stadiums.
Addressing the remarks made by the dissatisfied teams – Grays Hockey Club, Buddy Hockey Club, and Sentul Sports and Cultural Club – the KLHA council plans to address the concerns.
Additionally, the committee decided to re-register 22 players in each team participating in the league. The league is expected to resume with these measures in place. – January 2, 2024