PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Stadium Board has undertaken measures to address the grass damage problem at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The newly upgraded pitch with Zeon Zoysia grass, which cost more than RM4.8mil, had chunks of torn grass just 45 minutes into play between Malaysia and India in the Merdeka Tournament on Friday night.
Malaysia beat India 4-2 to enter the final but the quality of the pitch raised questions.
The National Stadium was closed in March for upgrading works with the Zeon Zoysia grass pitch sponsored by Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
In an official statement on Saturday (Oct 14), the Malaysian Stadium Board said the problem would be solved and were confident that the field would be ready before next month’s World Cup Qualifiers.
“The Malaysian Stadium Board is aware of the condition of the field in several areas opposite the grandstand, which is less stable due to reduced exposure to sunlight in those areas.
“This should not have happened. We have used grow lights to stimulate the growth of grass around those patches but it is still not the same as the natural sunlight’s capabilities," it said.
The board said it was confident that this issue would be resolved and specific patches on the National Stadium would fully recover before the World Cup Qualifiers.
“The standard preparation time for a field’s grass should take 12 months to complete but we only have eight months.
“The rainy conditions during the past week have not helped in the preparation of the new grass growth.
“Despite some patches of grass being uprooted, we are satisfied with the capabilities of the new drainage system and the progress on the field," it added.
“We will utilise the entire upcoming month to ensure the complete preparation of the field before the World Cup qualifiers for Malaysia," it added.
