President Jokowi Receives FIFA President at Merdeka Palace

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received a visit from the President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino to discuss the transformation of Indonesian soccer at the Merdeka Palace on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Upon arrival, Infantino was greeted by the country’s Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali, and State-owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.

Infantino's visit to Indonesia is a follow-up to his letter to Indonesia’s President concerning the plan to transform the Indonesian football ecosystem as a response to the Kanjuruhan stampede that claimed more than 130 lives early this month.

The letter stated FIFA's readiness to cooperate with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Indonesian government, and the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) in improving soccer in Indonesia through five main aspects.

Also read: Indonesian President to Order Stadium Audit after Deadly Stampede

The first aspect concerns the safety and security standards of the stadium which should be comprehensively reviewed and improved.

Furthermore, the police’s security protocols and procedures in safeguarding a match must comply with international safety standards.

Besides, more intensive dissemination of information on the transformation of football in Indonesia is deemed crucial, including the active involvement of supporters in ensuring the program's success.

The fourth aspect is the review of match schedules by taking into account the potential security risks.

The last aspect is assistance and benchmarking on the security of the matches which requires the involvement of stadium safety institutions and experts to establish systematic comparisons of global best practices regarding the issue.

The Kanjuruhan tragedy occurred after the Indonesian League 1 match between Arema FC and Persebaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang district, East Java province, on Oct. 1.

According to a report of the joint independent fact-finding team (TGIPF) to President Jokowi on Friday, Oct. 14, the stampede claimed 132 lives, while 96 other victims were seriously injured. In addition, 484 victims suffered from minor to moderate injuries.

Source: State News Antara