The Ministry of Youth and Sports is insistent on involving the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) in implementing Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2019 on Acceleration of National Football Development.
Minister Zainudin Amali stated that the presidential instruction has failed to accommodate PSSI to expedite the improvement of national football and instead named another task force to execute the task.
“PSSI was not mentioned even once in the presidential instruction despite its main goal being for national football,” Amali remarked while opening the focus group discussion on efforts to streamline Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2019 here Monday.
The minister pointed out that if the football federation is not involved in the task and a new task force is formed instead, then the government had effectively intervened in national football, which is a violation of the FIFA Statute.
Acknowledging potential issues that might arise from the failure to accommodate PSSI, the ministry decided to organize the focus group discussion in several cities to seek inputs from relevant stakeholders to streamline the presidential instruction, the minister remarked.
Despite the presidential instruction causing disharmony between the government and PSSI when it was issued, he made assurance that the two sides have set aside their differences and remain committed to working together to improve national football.
“When the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy occurred, the government finally realized that without the involvement of the federation, the PSSI, (the improvement) will stall,” Amali stressed while referring to the football tragedy in Malang, East Java, in which 135 people were killed on October 1, 2022.
The minister noted that some inputs received by the government at the earlier focus group discussions aim to ensure a greater role of PSSI, involve regional authorities, optimize the utilization of village funds to improve football fields in villages, ensure collective commitment for the presidential regulation, and improve football facilities in the eastern Indonesian region.
By issuing Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2019, President Joko Widodo had expressed his support for national football development, he remarked while adding that such instruction was the first to touch upon national football.
Amali also echoed FIFA’s commitment to supporting football development in Indonesia and realizing Indonesia as the epicentre of football in Asia.
With clear support from the president and FIFA, the minister is optimistic that it would motivate stakeholders to work harder and realize national football advancement goals.
Source: Antara News