S. Korea to have 1st hybrid grass football pitch at nat’l team training ground

SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) — South Korea will have its first hybrid grass football pitch at the national team training center, the country’s football governing body said Thursday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said that the Baekho field at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul, will be installed with a hybrid surface. It will install the hybrid turf system by end of this month and plans to open the field by May 2019.

The KFA said the hybrid grass system used for the Baekho field is a product of Spanish manufacturer Palau Turf. The KFA added that local sports marketing company Willingto, which has a license to sell Palau Turf products in South Korea, will cover 90 percent of construction costs and will be named the official hybrid grass supplier for the KFA under their agreement.

A hybrid surface has a mix of natural and synthetic grass. It strengthens the durability and structure of the natural grass and facilitates greater player safety. All 12 competition venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup had a hybrid turf.

“We reached the deal after having more than 20 meetings with Palau Turf and Willingto officials,” the KFA said. “We’ll accumulate data and knowhow from the hybrid grass system and will help the development of South Korean football including the K League.”

This file photo, taken Sept. 8, 2018, shows South Korea’s national football team players training on a football field at the National Football Center in Paju, north of Seoul. (Yonhap)