National Stadium pitch will be ‘safe and playable’, says Sports Hub

SINGAPORE — Ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2014 kick-off on Sunday (Nov 23), Sports Hub Private Limited (SHPL) today said that it has been working hard to optimise the National Stadium pitch and the pitch has improved.

“Over the six days of intense use we do foresee a loss in turf coverage after each match, but the pitch will be safe and playable,” said SHPL chief operating officer Oon Jin Teik in an update. “In parallel, we are also evaluating several longer term pitch solutions that we will explore after the AFF Suzuki Cup tournament.”

Hiroi Koichi, AFF and the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) independent field expert said: “The Sports Hub has put in a lot of work into the field and it will look good for the game on Sunday.”

Koichi, however, added: “The pitch is safe to play but do expect deterioration of the surface after every match. This is normal given the maturity of the pitch.”

The Singapore vs Thailand game will kick-off at 8pm on Sunday.

The 55,000-seater stadium had come under fire in recent months for its sandy pitch from fans, coaches and players, including Brazil coach Dunga ahead of their friendly against Japan on Oct 14, while the AFF threatened to move the tournament’s Group B matches to another venue.

FAS director of marketing and communications Gerald Wong said: “Our players are raring to go and ready to do well for our fans and for Singapore. To our fans, we hope to see you packing the National Stadium. Your presence means a lot to the Lions. Let’s all turn up in full force to be their 12th man.”