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Olga Wong

The use of cheap sand and unsuitable grass is killing not only the Hong Kong Stadium pitch but also other popular soccer pitches across the city, a veteran turf specialist has warned.
Turf consultant Dr Eric Lee Yin-tse visited the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground and the Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground with the South China Morning Post yesterday. Comparing the two venues and the Hong Kong Stadium, the Post found a stark contrast in the quality of the pitches, despite all three having hosted matches and experienced torrential rain in the past few weeks.

The Tseung Kwan O arena's two pitches - while better than that in the stadium - had coarse grains of sand intermingled with the grass and soil. The Sai Tso Wan pitch, on the other hand, was smooth and almost totally covered with grass.
The stadium and the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground are run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground is privately managed, with Lee advising on its pitch maintenance.
Lee said the condition of the Tseung Kwan O pitches - on which the 2009 East Asian Games matches were played - was deteriorating because of incompetent management.
On the main pitch, grass coverage had gone down 30 per cent since the games, he said, and on the smaller pitch, weeds were taking over the turf.
Manchester United practised on the main pitch on Sunday after cancelling its training session at the Hong Kong Stadium over fears of injuries due to the stadium pitch's poor quality.
Lee, who advised on the design of the Tseung Kwan O pitches, said the reduced grass could be due to a blockage of air and water. The underground thatch - a layer of dead grass and organic matter - was building up, which could be preventing oxygen from reaching the grass roots, he said. This could cause waterlogging.

On Sunday, the government said the stadium's pitch was waterlogged as workers did not have time to sieve all of the sand.
Over at Tseung Kwan O, workers had used sieves to separate impurities from the sand, but coarse grains and small rocks remained visible on the pitches.
Lee said professional pitches and the one in Sai Tso Wan would never sieve impurities by hand. "They import good-quality sand sieved by machines. The particles are uniform in size, making them less compact-prone and allowing more air and free water movement."
The better sand costs three to four times more than that used by the department.
He said pitches in Mong Kok and Siu Sai Wan had more serious problems because of their outdated designs. "They are still using a suffocating sand layer and wrong grass with low density," he said.
Lee said the Bermuda grass used in Tseung Kwan O and the stadium was seven times denser than the carpet grass used on those pitches. He said he had told the department years ago that an improved Bermuda grass that was more shade-tolerant could be used for the stadium, which lacks sunlight.
In Sai Tso Wan, the pitch's grass coverage was almost 100 per cent, despite it accommodating two matches a day on average. Pitch manager Cheung Sai-wing said the pitch was closed every Monday for grass-cutting. They also spiked the pitch once or twice a month to improve air passage and water drainage.
The department did not reveal how the Tseung Kwan O pitches were maintained, but it said the stadium's consultant had advised it to increase spiking and to try out a new grass.
 


Grass is greener, pitch quality better at private venue

The turf at Tseung Kwan O has coarse grains of sand. Photo: David Wong

Lee shows the firm grass at the Sai Tso Wan pitch. Photo: David Wong

Workers try to revive the pitch at the Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: David Wong 

A sieve used to remove impurities from sand in Tseung Kwan O. Photo: David Wong

Hong Kong Stadium mudbath blamed on poor management

Ground staff work on the pitch at the Hong Kong Stadium ahead of tonight's clash between Manchester United and Kitchee. Photo: Felix Wong

Fake grass for Hong Kong Stadium is a bad idea, expert says

Fans at Saturday's kick-off ceremony. Photo: Nora Tam

Home affairs minister promises to tackle poor state of Hong Kong Stadium

Man United's Anderson is confronted by Kitchee's Fernando Recio (left) and Matt Lam. Photo: Felix Wong

Manchester United fans in full voice at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Felix Wong

Harry's view

News

Hong Kong

Turf expert says quality of government-run pitches in Tseung Kwan O arena pale in comparison to privately-managed Sai Tso Wan field


The use of cheap sand and unsuitable grass is killing not only the Hong Kong Stadium pitch but also other popular soccer pitches across the city, a veteran turf specialist has warned.
