President Joko Widodo said he expects FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s visit to serve as a momentum for improving the Indonesian football system, which came into global spotlight following the Kanjuruhan tragedy on October 1, 2022.
Upon his arrival at Merdeka Palace at around 11:58 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Infantino was greeted by Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, following which, he attended a closed meeting with President Widodo for 30 minutes.
Amali and Thohir accompanied Widodo during a follow-up meeting with Infantino, which lasted 1.5 hours, after which the head of state and the FIFA president issued a joint press statement.
Widodo said that he and Infantino discussed the Kanjuruhan tragedy in detail and the latter expressed deep sympathy and concern over the incident.
“We agree that this tragedy is a very important lesson for Indonesian football and also for the world of football. Don’t let this incident happen again, don’t let the joy of the football match spectators end in sorrow and disaster,” he remarked.
During their meeting, Widodo and Infantino agreed on the need for a complete transformation of Indonesian football, including ensuring that all aspects of matches meet the security standards set by FIFA.
“Both players and spectators must be safe. Thus, we agreed to review the feasibility of the stadium and apply technology to help mitigate various potentials that endanger spectators and players,” President Widodo said.
The government and FIFA also agreed to ensure that the 2023 U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Indonesia from May 20 to June 11, 2023, runs well.
Both parties agreed that all preparations and the implementation of the U-20 World Cup must run according to FIFA standards and be handled in a proper and professional manner.
Widodo informed that the Indonesian government and FIFA agreed to work together with all Indonesian football stakeholders to ensure that the transformation process of Indonesian football runs according to the required standards.
“Let’s make this agreement a momentum for improving the Indonesian football system so that Indonesian football becomes national pride and performs better in the future,” the President remarked.
Infantino also emphasized that the FIFA team is not merely visiting Indonesia, but would also stay in the country to ensure that the spirit of transformation of Indonesian football is thoroughly applied.
His visit to Indonesia is a follow-up to his reply to President Widodo, which was sent to Minister Thohir some time ago.
Source: Antara News