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Malaysian football clubs raise concerns over proposed pitch upgrade to Zeon Zoysia | Scoop
Bukit Jalil National Stadium is perhaps most infamously known for using Zeon Zoysia grass, when it gained notoriety for its condition during the final of the Pestabola Merdeka tournament between Malaysia and Tajikistan on October 17. – Riduan Ahmad/Scoop pic, October 29, 2023
Sports

Malaysian football clubs raise concerns over proposed pitch upgrade to Zeon Zoysia

From cost of maintenance, to lack of alternate sporting venues, there is limited enthusiasm in moving on from cow grass

Main Author Image
Sandru Narayanan
Updated
10:00 AM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Kuala Lumpur City FC and Sri Pahang FC have expressed their reasons for rejecting the proposal put forth by Youth and Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh, to replace their existing cow grass (Axonopus Compressus) football pitches with Zeon Zoysia.

Both teams, currently competing in the Malaysia Super League, have welcomed the Youth and Sports Ministry’s initiatives, but are now raising concerns about the cost needed to maintain the upgraded pitch. 

Speaking to Scoop, KL City chief executive officer Stanley Bernard said that the club admires the Zeon Zoysia pitch, but highlighted the club’s inability to accommodate this change without an alternative venue for their home games.

“Honestly, we completely welcome the initiative, but both the club and the state government had to reject this proposal as we lack an alternative venue for our games if the upgrades proceed.

“We won’t have a place to play our games since we don’t have a designated football stadium, and the stadium we use is a multipurpose facility. 

“It would take months for the pitch to mature, and the cost of maintaining it is quite expensive.

“To be frank, we are content with our current pitch quality, as we successfully organised the 2022 AFC Cup and have been maintaining our pitch very well since I took charge,” said Stanley.

Sri Pahang FC chief executive officer Datuk Mohammed Suffian Awang believes the currently used cow grass pitch suits the team’s style of play more. – Facebook pic, October 29, 2023

Adding to Stanley’s perspective, Sri Pahang FC chief executive officer Datuk Mohammed Suffian Awang affirmed the club’s support for an improved pitch but mentioned budgetary constraints hinders their ability to maintain it in the long run.

“We’re open to upgrading our pitch for the benefit of our players, but the state government’s budget constraints, averaging between RM200,000 to RM300,000 annually, make this a challenging proposition,” Suffian said. 

“We are not complaining, but we have to adhere to the conditions set by the state government since we do not own the stadium, which is also used for other sports. 

“We do have alternatives to play our games in Temerloh and other parts of Kuantan, but I believe our state government is considering the long-term view, as they need to allocate funds to all aspects of sports, rather than focusing solely on our Darul Makmur stadium pitch.

“Nevertheless, we have no issues with our current pitch, as we have maintained it well, and we believe that this cow grass pitch suits our current style of play and continues to help our players achieve more success in the years to come.”

Last week, Hannah announced that only Sarawak had agreed to use Zeon Zoysia grass in their state stadium. 

She added that three other states and territories, namely Terengganu, Pahang, and Kuala Lumpur, would continue to maintain the existing cow grass in their respective arenas.

The attempt to reach Terengganu FC’s CEO, Mohd Sabri Abas, for comment was unsuccessful.

Zeon Zoysia grass has been lauded for its resistance to diverse weather conditions and is deemed suitable for football fields. 

Several Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, have embraced this grass type in their respective stadiums. 

Notably, Malaysia uses Zeon Zoysia at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which is fully sponsored by the Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim. 

Additionally, Tunku Ismail’s own Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri utilises Zeon Zoysia grass. – October 29, 2023

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