KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive Stuart Ramalingam hopes that state governments will take up the Youth and Sports Ministry’s offer to upgrade their football pitches.
Earlier, the ministry offered to replace selected football pitches in each state with Zeon Zoysia grass, which was commended by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
At the same time, the Johor Darul Ta’zim FC owner said that he was confused by the rejection by certain parties, as clubs with millions in yearly budgets could not fork out the less than RM300,000 required for the new pitches’ annual maintenance.
However, Stuart added that some clubs playing in the Super League are not the decision-makers when it comes to stadium matters. He said there is a communication gap between clubs and stadium operators – in many cases, the state government.
“Some stadiums are maintained by the clubs; some are owned by the local municipality or the state government.
“We hope the football clubs and state governments can work together to ensure the upgrade of football pitches across the country. The safety of players needs to be prioritised because a football field is a performance stage but at the same time, it can cause severe injuries to players,” he said today.
Stuart said pitch upgrades are not just about replacing fields – they also involve sub-soil and drainage systems that may already be obsolete and need refurbishing.
He said the upgrades will also give the M-League a professional look and help increase its appeal to broadcasters.
Meanwhile, Stuart said the distribution of MFL sponsorship funds to clubs for the 2023 season will be announced soon.
“MFL has met the respective clubs’ chief executives before the start of the season to discuss the distribution of sponsorship revenue. We will make an announcement soon,” he said.
Compared to last year’s distribution, Stuart said the 2023 season has seen a 90% increase in revenue from sponsorship deals. – The Vibes, March 20, 2023
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