KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation’s (MHC) decision not to sell match tickets for the FIH Junior World Cup is aimed to help alleviate the financial burden on families with lower incomes attending the matches.
“We don’t have the means to do it. To sell tickets, we would need to engage with a private company, and they don’t provide their services for free. They would charge us a certain amount, and we would be required to give back 50% of our income to them.
“At the same time, we also considered the financial strain it would impose on fans. For instance, if we were to sell tickets for RM5 to RM10, and a family of five attends, it would cost them RM50. We don’t want to burden families with such financial troubles.
“Hence, we have absorbed the cost – aiming to ensure that families with a significant number of members can enjoy the games without financial strain,” MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said during a press conference yesterday.
Subahan also guaranteed that the Junior Hockey World Cup would implement top-notch safety protocols to ensure the smooth running of the tournament without any mishaps.
“We have received assurances from the police force, especially those in Petaling and Bangsar. Approximately 25 police personnel will be present within the vicinity, along with special branch officers on the ground.
“The police have provided us with a list of considerations and the armed forces will be on standby in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
“We are aiming for a 90% attendance at the World Cup, and I believe that patriotic fans will come to the stadium to watch our players perform on such a prestigious stage.
“We can guarantee that this year’s World Cup will be a great success, as sports unite everyone,” Subahan added.
The 13th edition of the World Cup will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur from December 5 to December 16 as Malaysia is placed in Pool A, alongside defending champions Argentina, Australia, and Chile.
Malaysia will begin their campaign against Chile on December 5.
The team’s best performance in the tournament came in the 2013 edition in New Delhi, India, where they finished fourth out of 16 teams. – December 1, 2023