KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor Hockey Association (SHA) is delighted with the steps taken by the state government to upgrade the Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium, which will enhance future hockey activities in the region.
The association’s response came after they had to organise their annual Selangor Hockey League (SHL) by renting facilities at the Lembah Pantai Hockey Stadium and the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium.
Returning after a five-year hiatus, the SHL, which ran from April 20 to June 1, aimed to unearth new hockey talents in the country.
It featured three divisions (two men’s and one women’s) and opened to all age groups.
Speaking to Scoop, SHA president S. Ganesh said that with the support of Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Petaling Jaya Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon, the association hopes to conduct the next edition of the tournament in Selangor instead of Kuala Lumpur.
“We are having discussions and I have spoken to the menteri besar and the mayor. We are working to get the pitch up and running, and we are really grateful for the state government’s support.
“Everything is moving in the right direction for now, and I’m happy to see the collaborative efforts from all parties to ensure that we can fix the issues as quickly as we could.
“We hope the stadium will be ready (by next year), and the government has given us their word.
“It’s going to take another year for the next SHL to take place, and it will be wonderful if we can have the tournament at the Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium instead of renting venues in KL.
“Since everything is moving in a positive direction, we are just hoping for the best, and we at SHA will continue our initiatives by coming up with more hockey tournaments for the betterment of the game in Selangor,” said Ganesh during the SHL closing ceremony at Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium yesterday.
Previously, Selangor Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi revealed to Scoop that the Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium underwent renovations in 2015.
Najwan also ensured that the state government would work closely with the Petaling Jaya City Council to monitor maintenance needs and facilitate repair processes based on the current state of the stadium.
His commitment came after Malaysian Hockey Confederation president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal criticised the Selangor government for its perceived lack of responsibility in maintaining hockey facilities across the state.
Subahan emphasised the importance of proper infrastructure in fostering the sports’ growth.
The Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium, completed in 1995, has lately become a white elephant, with no hockey games held there for the past three years. – June 2, 2024