KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is content with the fan turnout for the ongoing FIH Men’s Junior World Cup, despite falling short of the expected 90% target for stadium occupancy.
MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said that the low fan attendance was anticipated by the confederation before the tournament.
“It’s never easy for us to host the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, given the city’s congestion and perpetual traffic issues, coupled with the public’s preference for online match viewing over attending the stadium.
“Initially, we suggested to FIH to hold the tournament in either Terengganu or Perak, where our previous tournaments had a higher fan attendance. Even when India hosted the World Cup, they avoided major cities like Mumbai or Chennai in favour of smaller towns.
“But FIH recommended hosting the tournament in KL to avoid logistical challenges and ensure safety measures. We have fulfilled our promotional responsibilities, but attendance ultimately depends on the fans’ choice.
“Overall, I’m pleased with the number of fans who attended, especially for the Malaysian matches. If our team had qualified for the quarterfinals, we might have seen a higher fan attendance,” Subahan said during a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium today.
Subahan also suggested that the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (Stadium Corp) could have implemented more initiatives to attract crowds to the stadium.
“The activation booths outside the stadium fall under Stadium Corp, and there weren’t many booths, such as food trucks. This is something they (Stadium Corp) should address.
“As hosts of the World Cup, Stadium Corp should have made additional efforts to promote the stadium for fan attendance. I’m not complaining, but I hope improvements can be made.
“Nevertheless, I’m pleased that MHC generated good income through sales in our allocated booths. Many fans, including foreigners, purchased our jerseys and merchandise,” Subahan added.
FIH President Datuk Tayyab Ikram recently expressed satisfaction with MHC for successfully hosting the Junior World Cup over the 11 days from December 5 to 16.
So far, a total of 6,900 fans have attended the matches at the 12,000-capacity Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium since the tournament commenced on December 5. – December 16, 2023