KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Stadium Corporation is swiftly addressing anticipated damages to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium’s football pitch following Wednesday night’s Coldplay concert.
Speaking to Scoop, its chief executive Mohd Faidz Sanusi revealed that the corporation had foreseen potential harm to the field even before the event commenced and is taking proactive measures to fix it.
“We have anticipated this (damage on the football pitch). We will own it and are fixing it.
“We have already taken the (new) grass from the nursery to cover the damaged area on the field,” he said.
The concert was the final stop for the British band as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.
Efforts are currently underway to replace damaged sections of the pitch with fresh Zeon Zoysia grass from the corporation’s nursery in Bukit Jalil.
“Even before the concert started, we anticipated which area on the field would get damaged. We are ready before, during, and after the concert,” he added.
Earlier, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim tweeted a picture regarding the pitch’s condition post-concert, showing brown patches on certain areas of the field.
Faidz clarified that the damage was not as severe as what was incurred during the Pestabola Merdeka semi-final match between Malaysia and India on October 13.
He attributed the damage to specific areas where heavy delay towers were positioned for the concert’s sound system.
“If you look at the concert set up, there were four towers erected in the middle of the pitch and they are really heavy which probably weighed around eight to 10 tonnes which we know would impact the grass.
“The only issue now is that the grass is just compressed to the ground. So we are making sure the field is ready for Piala Malaysia,” he added.
Faidz assured that the pitch would be fully restored before the upcoming Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta’zim and Terengganu on December 8.
Collaborating with the contractor responsible for the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Faidz expressed confidence in the timely restoration of the field.
While Faidz refrained from disclosing the exact rental figure for hosting the concert, he highlighted that it exceeded the cost of a football match.
“The rental depends on what the organiser uses during an event. It varies from event to event,” he explained.
Acknowledging the higher commercial value derived from concerts, Faidz emphasised the dynamic nature of the rental structure, particularly in events with anticipated success like the Coldplay concert. – November 24, 2023