A football training session being held on the field. — Filepic
DENGKIL residents in Selangor are about to lose the only playing field that they have actively used for football games for decades.
Located in Kampung Ampar Tenang, the field belongs to a private property developer who now plans to use half of it for a development project.
The developer has surrendered only 0.51ha of the field to Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) to be maintained as a field.
This means it will no longer be big enough to hold football games.
Residents became suspicious last month upon seeing holes dug up in the Kampung Ampar Tenang field. — Filepic
MPSepang councillors were shocked to hear about the reduced size of the field and raised the matter with MPSepang president Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain during the full board meeting on Aug 30.
Councillor Kenneth Lee said the agreement was for the developer to surrender a standard- size football field.
“But what is being surrendered now is too small.
“MPSepang needs to discuss the field size with the developer again,” he said.
Abd Hamid said he would discuss the matter with the landowner.
However, he also said the land was not gazetted as an open space and that the landowner had the right to decide on how it would be used.
R. Arumugam said the field was a training ground for football enthusiasts who went on to play professionally.
“Several youths from Dengkil who trained here became state players.
“If there is no field for the future generation to play football, how will they realise their potential?” he said.
StarMetro had on Aug 31 reported that the residents suspected something amiss when they saw holes dug up on the field as though it was a demarcation for a project.
Former Negri Sembilan football player M.Sivam, 51, said it was this field that helped him sharpen his skills in the game.
“I grew up in Ampar Tenang Estate and all the boys would gather every evening at this field to play football.
“I played for Negri Sembilan between 1994 and 2001.
“But even after leaving the team and moving out from Ampar Tenang to Pekan Dengkil about 10 years ago, I still go to the field to jog almost daily.
Sivam said the field was an asset that should be cherished by the landowner, who is also developing a township nearby.
“Why ruin something valuable that already exists?
“The people living in the new township can also use the field,” he said.
Former Selangor football player Pubalan Gunasegaran, 35, from Kampung Ampar Tenang said it would be a pity if the field was downsized.
“Growing up, football was the main entertainment for the boys here.
“If the field is downsized, it will function like a playground for young children.
“Teenagers and adults will have to find some other activities.
“We often organise football matches on this field and may not be able to do that anymore.”
He said there was a turf field nearby but people would have to pay about RM500 minimum for rent.
“This field is free and we can keep our cost low.
“Also the turf field is not good for the legs and makes a player more prone to injuries,” he said.
Mugilan Maialagan, 37, from Kampung Ampar Tenang, who runs a football academy and used the field as its training ground, said he would likely have to stop the academy.
He said there were about 80 children between the ages of seven and 18 who trained under Kelab Bola Sepak Ampar Tenang Selangor.
“Many of them are from poor families and the fee is only RM50 per child.
“If this field is no more, the only alternative is the turf field nearby that must be rented.
“I do not think the children’s parents can afford it if I increase the fee,” he said.
