KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25: The Malaysian Stadium Corporation (PSM) has found a way to preserve the turf at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium (BJNS) by hiring Labosport experts to prepare the venue for Ed Sheeran’s concert last night and then resurfacing the turf for the subsequent March 26 football match between Malaysia and Oman in the 2026 World Cup/Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.
According to a statement issued by PSM, as an initial step it has moved 1,900 square metres of grass from the field to accommodate the stage and audio system tower for Ed Sheeran’s World Tour concert with a Mathematics theme.
“The grass that has been transplanted to a nursery for intensive care including watering and fertilisation to keep the grass healthy at an optimal level.
“PSM is ready to draw on spare grass from the nursery, if necessary. The existing nursery has a grass area of more than 2,000 square metres to cover the needs of the Bukit Jalill pitch,” according to PSM.
PSM issued the statement following concerns from the public about the pitch condition after the concert, considering that the Harimau Malaya squad will use the same pitch for Group D action of the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers next month.
According to PSM, the experts will immediately dismantle the stage after the concert ends, followed by turf restoration on the field.
The issue of a damaged field surface was previously a hot topic which ruffled football fans and authorities after the UK band, Coldplay concert last Nov 22, which marred the pitch for smooth proceedings of the 2023 Malaysia Cup final.
— BERNAMA