Maintaining the National Stadium's pitch for sporting events

Question

Mr Nicholas Fang: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what is the present condition of the pitch at the new National Stadium and if the recent non-sporting events held there have had any impact on the pitch and the Stadium.

Response

Minister Lawrence Wong: The Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL) tested a variety of turf before deciding on the hybrid Desso GrassMaster pitch, which is primarily natural turf, anchored by artificial fibres. The pitch is designed to meet the requirements of international sports federations while still being tough enough to withstand use for non-sporting events.

The new National Stadium hosted the Rugby World Club 10s in mid-June, followed by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert and a Stefanie Sun Concert over the following two weekends. When the non-sporting events were held, SHPL deployed special decking to cover the pitch and this minimised the impact of the stage and equipment set up on the surface. The decking was removed immediately after the concerts and I am told that the turf is growing well and the pitch is being prepared in good time for an upcoming football exhibition match.

SHPL will manage the entire events calendar with an eye on ensuring that the pitch is kept in a good and ready condition for sporting events.