SHAH ALAM, Aug 17 — Construction work on the country’s first National Rugby Stadium will begin in September, but with the seating capacity reduced to 1,250 from the original figure of between 5,000 and 10,000, said Malaysia Rugby (MR) president Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya.
He explained that since the RM17 million stadium, to be built in Precinct 14, Putrajaya, had enough space to accommodate up to 5,000 spectators at any one time, MR would increase the seating capacity if the government approved the additional budget under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
“The stadium will be built modularly, so when we get the additional fund either from the government or the private sector, then it can be upgraded in phases,” he told a press conference after the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between MR and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here today.
Work on the stadium was initially set to start in May and expected to be completed between 18 and 24 months. However, the project was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The stadium will have various facilities, such as gymnasium, treatment centre, commercial space and training field, which will be built in stages.
In a separate development, Shahrul Zaman said MR was reviewing the need for a foreign coach to train its men and women’s national 7s sides due to the economic impact caused by the ongoing pandemic. — Bernama
