Ahead of the Women's Soccer Trilogy, SSA Kudus Upgrades Stadium Lighting Facilities

KUDUS – Supersoccer Arena (SSA) Kudus is accelerating infrastructure upgrades ahead of a women's soccer tournament scheduled for late June 2026. Crews are currently focused on installing four Field of Play (FOP) lighting units, a specialized system designed to illuminate the main pitch for night matches.

The international-standard lights are being installed to prepare Supersoccer Arena as the primary venue for the Women’s Soccer Trilogy, a series of tournaments featuring multiple matches. The new lighting is expected to enhance both competitive conditions and evening sporting activities.

Supersoccer Arena Kudus manager Welly Arisanto stated that the installation of the international-standard stadium lighting is well underway, with progress currently estimated at 50 to 60 percent.

According to Arisanto, workers have completed the installation of the lighting poles and the primary cabling, though several phases remain before the system can be fully operational.

"Installation progress is at about 50 to 60 percent. The poles are up and the cabling is underway. We are currently lifting the lighting fixtures and working on light configuration settings," Arisanto said.

He added that the configuration process is precise, as it must be calibrated to meet specific pitch illumination requirements. Additionally, crews are removing the existing lightning rods to integrate them into the new lighting mast structures.

"We are removing the old lightning rods so that both the lights and the lightning protection will be housed on a single pole. Once that is done, we will proceed to final configuration and testing," he said.

Although installation work is ongoing, stadium lights will not be operational for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All Stars or the HYDROPLUS Soccer League All Stars, scheduled from late June to early July, as technical work remains in its final stages.

Welly stated that additional work, including the final touches on lightning protection and lighting system configuration, is expected to be completed by mid-July.

Once installation is finished, management will conduct inspections and lighting simulations to ensure illumination quality meets match standards. These tests may be carried out in conjunction with regular matches held at the arena.

"After the installation is complete, we will conduct simulations and check the lighting to ensure that the illumination levels and light distribution patterns meet the requirements for matches," he explained.

Stadium lights are expected to provide greater scheduling flexibility, allowing for evening matches with kick-off times around 7:00 p.m. local time.

According to Welly, evening matches will allow organizers to manage the tournament agenda more efficiently and shorten the overall duration. The lights also open the venue for evening training sessions.

"With these lights, evening games are possible, making the schedule more flexible. The arena can also be used for night training and other sports activities with adjusted lighting needs," he said.

Beyond football, the lighting facilities could support other sports such as athletics and archery by providing sport-specific illumination.

Preparations extend beyond stadium infrastructure. SSA Kudus is also upgrading facilities ahead of larger women's football events, including the Srikandi Merdeka Cup scheduled for August.

As an international tournament, the Srikandi Merdeka Cup requires enhanced support facilities. Key focus areas include providing a media room, player transit areas, refined player entry routes, and structured spectator seating.

Welly acknowledged that space constraints remain a challenge. To address this, organizers are considering using additional outdoor space, including parking lots and areas outside the arena, to host temporary facilities such as tents or other support structures.

“We need to upgrade our facilities because international events have different requirements. Several additional areas are being considered to support tournament operations,” he said.

Separately, the committee is focusing on operational aspects, including managing the flow of spectators, vehicles, players, and officials to ensure match logistics proceed smoothly.

Parking limitations remain a primary concern. The committee must designate separate areas for team vehicles, officials, and spectators to maintain efficient traffic flow during the event.

Despite this, Welly believes the security setup is adequate, given the team’s extensive experience managing large-scale events. However, he noted that capacity may need to be expanded if the scale of tournaments continues to grow.

“Security is currently well-handled by an experienced team. However, should the scale of events increase, adjustments and enhancements to supporting facilities will certainly be necessary,” he said.

To support the Women’s Soccer Trilogy, the Super Cafe public area within the Supersoccer Arena will undergo renovations to serve as a tunnel and access route for players entering the main field.

This adjustment is part of an effort to streamline arena operations, ensuring more orderly movement for players and match officials throughout the tournaments.

To monitor preparation progress, the committee and arena management have proposed weekly meetings to evaluate and adapt to technical and operational needs for the upcoming Women’s Soccer Trilogy, MilkLife Soccer Challenge All Stars, HYDROPLUS Soccer League All Stars, and Srikandi Merdeka Cup.

Regarding grandstand facilities, the Supersoccer Arena’s current configuration can accommodate a maximum of approximately 1,100 spectators.

While there have been suggestions to install individual seating at SSA Kudus to improve spectator comfort, Welly emphasized that no official discussions regarding such upgrades have taken place.

He pointed out that implementing a single-seat system would likely reduce the arena's total spectator capacity compared to the current bench-style configuration.

“There is no official talk of installing single seats. Our current capacity is around 1,100, and using specific seat configurations could lead to a reduction in that number,” Welly said.

With ongoing lighting installations and planned facility upgrades, Supersoccer Arena Kudus continues to refine its infrastructure and operations to support the Women’s Soccer Trilogy and other women’s soccer events throughout the year. (sns/mkk)