The Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture between Geylang International and Balestier Khalsa, originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday 11 April 2023 at Our Tampines Hub (OTH), has been postponed to Wednesday 12 April 2023.
The match will now take place at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said in a statement that “upon extensive inspection, SPL officials have found the pitch at OTH to be in a state that is unfit and unsafe for professional competition football.”
No details were given as to why the pitch was unfit and unsafe for professional competition.
When TMSG visited the venue on 11 April in the morning, there were at least five workers on the pitch doing maintenance.
One worker was also seen walking around with a broom.
The FAS said that it “prioritises the health and safety of all players and officials especially in competitions like the SPL, and in this instance, has determined that the state of the pitch in OTH has unfortunately fallen short of the expected standards.”
The FAS further added that it had informed the venue owner in OTH to rectify the issues before its next inspection to assess the playability of the OTH pitch.
While the FAS did not mention it in their statement, the OTH venue is owned and managed by People’s Association, and is the home ground for both Geylang International and Tampines Rovers.
The venue was utilised over the weekend for the JSSL Singapore Professional Academy 7s, an event supported by Singapore Tourism Board.
PHOTOS: TMSG