The Sri Kelana Primary School was picked as the first school in this country to be part of the initiative pledged by Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the Sustainable Sports Summit in Paris in July last year.
Infantino, who inaugurated the project on Saturday, believes that it will have a domino effect that can attract other entities to build this kind of project nationwide.
“This should just be an example of something we can do for children, and when people see it, they will want to have Fifa Arenas all over the country.
“We are here to help put this in place, to prepare a joint project with the government, FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) and Fifa to make many, many more of these fields in Malaysia,” he told a press conference at the launch.
Also present were youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh and FAM honorary president Hamidin Amin.
Infantino also said that the world football governing body’s commitment to expand grassroots access to safe and inclusive football facilities through the Fifa Arena initiative involves the construction of over 1,000 mini pitches globally by the end of next year.
Fifa has already begun construction in about 20 countries, with several more underway.
Each Fifa Arena mini-pitch is built with sustainability in mind, whereby local contractors install specialist synthetic turf and perimeter fencing, while Fifa delivers the pitch system and provides training, guidance, and tools for ongoing maintenance.
Mini pitch specifications include high-quality artificial grass mini pitches with goals, walls and nets and a 20×40 metre (m) playing surface.
Fifa kicked off Fifa Arena at the Georgian Football Federation’s (GFF) Varketili Football Centre in Georgia last April.
The initiative’s ambition is to provide more playing opportunities for children in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to foster inclusivity through football globally
Meanwhile, Infantino also met with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on Saturday.
In a Facebook post, the Prime Minister said the meeting focused on efforts to strengthen the football ecosystem in Malaysia and the Asean region.
“This includes the Fifa Arena project, which will serve as a catalyst for the development of more local talents and the enhancement of football infrastructure in the country.
“We also touched on the Asean-Fifa Football Development Agreement, which is a strategic step toward opening a new chapter in turning this region into a respected football powerhouse on the global stage,” he said in the post.
Anwar said Malaysia would continue to prioritise football development through improved facilities, structured training programmes and strategic collaboration with Fifa.
These efforts, he said, are crucial in producing a new generation of talented players, strengthening the professional sports ecosystem, and elevating the country’s profile as a regional football development hub.