Football: National Stadium pitch invaders handed over to police, says Sports Hub

The friendly football match between Brazil and Senegal on Oct 10, 2019 saw two young boys run onto the pitch in Kallang to take wefies with Neymar and other players. ST PHOTOS: JASON QUAH
A pitch invader (in hoodie) being taken away by security personnel after he went to the Uzbekistan stands and taunted fans during the World Cup qualifier between Singapore and Uzbekistan on Oct 15, 2019. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

SINGAPORE - Pitch invaders in football matches held at the National Stadium over the past week have been handed over to the police, says the Singapore Sports Hub.

An Oct 10 friendly match between Brazil and Senegal saw two young boys run onto the pitch in Kallang to take wefies with Neymar and other players. They were eventually apprehended by security and led away.

And during Tuesday's World Cup qualifier between Singapore and Uzbekistan, a spectator entered the area between the pitch and the stands and confronted fans from the visiting team. He too was escorted away by security.

In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 16), the Sports Hub warned that "pitch invasions or other breaches of security will be dealt with severely and trespassers will be handed over to the police".

It added that it would "continue to enhance security measures" but did not detail what these would entail.

Noting that those who breach security measures "create unpleasant experiences for all", the statement explained: "The stadium is set up to bring fans as close to the action as possible. Pitch invasions do happen across the globe as passions run high and fans look to get closer to their heroes.

"Regardless, the safety of players and fans are our number one priority and security checks are in place for anyone entering the stadium."

The Straits Times has contacted the Singapore Police Force for clarification.

This is not the first time this year that pitch invasions have occurred at a football match at the National Stadium.

During the International Champions Cup match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur in July, a boy ran the width of the pitch at the National Stadium and hugged his idol, Juve's five-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, in the second half.

He was identified by British tabloid The Sun as 14-year-old Akhmadi Yerzhanov from Kazakhstan, and together with his father was detained by Singapore police after the incident.

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