Players can look forward ro training on any of the three grass training fields adjacent to the main stadium. There is also an artificial turf training pitch to suit the varied tastes of coaches. The floodlights are pre-programmed and located to ensure thai every nook and cranny of the vast stadium is lit.
Malaysia national team coach B. Sathianathan, who has been involved in dozens of matches at the national stadium over the years, .says, ‘Thee Bukit Jalil National Stadium stands out for its excellent facilities and I don’t think I have seen any stadium in this part ol the world with such world-class facilities.”
The coach ought to know a thing or two about the deafening decibel levels which can be whipped up by vociferous fans inside the stadium. The atmosphere is magical and when the crowds cheer it can be very, very loud. The one match I remember the most is from the South-East Asian Games in 2001 when we played Vietnam in the semi-finals. The stadium was packed to the rafters and it was unbelievable. We won 2-0,” Sathianathan says.
The stadium’s central location and easy accessibility means it is also a preferred venue for concerts. Top pop stars from Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei have entertained hordes of fans at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium with the most recent big draw being Korean pop icon Rain.
Construction of the stadium began in 1994 and the structure was ready in time for the Commonwealth Games, held in Asia for the first time ever, four years later. Since the stadium is relatively young, not much renovation has been done to it except for routine maintenance.
“The Bukit Jalil National Stadium is the pride of Malaysia and symbolises our ‘Malaysia Boleh’ (Malaysia can!) spirit,” says Razy, summing up the importance of Malaysia’s main sports stadium.

“Ihe Bukit Jaiil National Stadium rises imposingly and almost abruptly from ground level and is spread across 76,000 square metres. The main entrance and surrounding areas are dotted with traditional Malay art carvi ngs while a giant kris — a Malay dagger — greets visitors.
Once inside, a jaw-dropping experience is guaranteed thanks to the classic bowl shape fully enhanced by the hidden lighting and multi-coloured seating pattern which create the visual impact of a fluttering Malaysian national flag. With all 100,000 seats under cover, the stadium is home to the Malaysian national teams and has hosted several important matches and tournaments over the years.
Etched firmly in public memory arc the 2001 South-East Asian Games, several Malaysia Cup and Malaysian FA Cup finals, the 2004 edition of popular regional tournament the Figer Cup, and, of course, the AEC Asian Cup in July 2007. The Brazilian national team (2002) and English Premier League giants Manchester United (2001) and Arsenal (2003) have also strutted their stuff at this stadium.
“When the stadium Is packed, the atmosphere Is wonderful – and can be quire intimidating for visiting teams,” says Anoush Bagheri, an Iranian who travelled all the way from Tehran LO see Team Melli In action in the AFC Asian Cup 2007.
fans like Bagheri can rest assured they will not be left bedraggled by one of the regular and intense Malaysian rain showers thanks to the spectacular roof which Is made of translucent polyurethane material and juts out enough to keep rhe stands dry.

Eventual winners Iraq booked their place in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 final by edging out Korea Republic on penalties in a memorable, nail-biting semi-final at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur in July 2007, leaving themselves on the cusp of making footballing history.
The match, held almost nine years to the day of the stadiums inauguration in 1998, proved to be yet another thriller played out by Asia’s foremost practitioners of the beautiful game in one of the most modern and aesthetically pleasing stadiums in the world.
In an age of environmentally friendly construction, the Bukit Jalil National Stadium – nestling as it is in lush tropical greenery and tastefully built to world-class standards, has hard-to-please environmentalists nodding their heads in approval.
Often described as the “stadium in a park”, the stadium’s architects left the verdant carpet that surrounds the stadium unharmed, thus creating a favourable contrast with other sports megasr.ructures across the planer, for which wide swathes of greenery have been erased. Combine this with cutting-edge facilities and technology, and you have a stadium which can rightfully boast of being the best in South-hast Asia. “It is a serene and elevating experience – no matter from which direction you are approaching the stadium,” says Fakhrul Razy, an ardent Malaysian football fan. “And it only gets better and more impressive once you are inside the stadium.