Looks like the sandy grounds at the Singapore Sports Hub's got in the
way of Taiwan Mandopop star Jay Chou's first outdoor gig at the
newly-renovated National Stadium this November.
The
concert, originally scheduled to be held on Nov 8 (Sat), will be
postponed to a month later on Dec 27 (Sat). This piece of news comes
just days after backlash over the stadium's sandy pitch, following
Brazil and Japan's friendly football match on Tuesday.
Managed
by SportsHub Pte Ltd (SHPL), the National Stadium's sandy grounds were
said to be "far from being satisfactory," in a statement released by
Sports Singapore chief executive Lim Teck Yin.
There
are fears that the "sub-standard" pitch would hamper Singapore's bid to
host the upcoming AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup on Nov 23.
Although Sports Hub assured that covers would be placed on top of the
field to protect the pitch during concert events, such as Jay's
originally scheduled Nov 8 gig, many remain skeptical about this move.
A
meeting was held between AFF and Singapore Sports Hub officials today
to decide if the matches will be played at the National Stadium. No
conclusion was given at the meeting and a decision will be made next
week.