KUALA LUMPUR: There has been no damage to the pitch of the National Hockey Stadium due to concerts hosted there, said Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh. She confirmed that the stadium has successfully hosted three concerts so far, with two more scheduled until the end of the year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Perbadanan Stadium Nasional has developed specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in collaboration with the turf supplier to ensure the safety of the pitch. These SOPs include using protective covers recommended by the original turf supplier to safeguard the pitch from heavy loads. Hannah Yeoh emphasized that any booking of the stadium must comply with these strict SOPs, which include the mandatory use of the protective covers.

The usage ratio of the National Hockey Stadium is currently set at 60:40, with 60 percent dedicated to sports events and 40 percent allocated for non-sport events. Concerts are permitted only when they do not overlap with scheduled hockey events.

Hannah further
reported that, as of October, 16,000 students have had the opportunity to engage in sports activities for free at facilities managed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), particularly at Bukit Jalil. In terms of assistance to sports associations and clubs, she stated that RM35.4 million has been approved through the Sports Matching Grant for 307 applications. Additionally, the Community Sports Fund has sanctioned RM20 million for 1,207 applications, while RM4.5 million from Kumpulan Wang Amanah Sukan Negara has been allocated for 72 sports events. These funds are intended to support the organization of events as well as the preparation and identification of potential athletes.