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fficials from the President Cup soccer competition said they were ready to host another tournament this year, but only after they secured consent from President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

The President Cup has previously secured Jokowi'€™s support in the wake of a national soccer crisis marked by the cancelation of domestic tournaments and Indonesia'€™s isolation from International tournaments.

The plan became more serious after Erick Thohir '€” vice president commissioner of PT Mahaka Media (ABBA) that has previously led the President Cup'€™s organizing committee '€” and Maruarar Sirait from the steering committee met with Jokowi at the Palace on Tuesday.

'€œWe were also asked to coordinate with [Presidential Chief of Staff] Teten [Masduki] to prepare for the President Cup tournament this year. We certainly need to improve several things,'€ Maruarar said after the meeting on Tuesday.

According to Maruarar, the organizers would make efforts to bring more clubs into the competition should the tournament be held this year, adding that they would also coordinate with all related parties.

Maruarar, however, stopped short on commenting on the possible time-frame for this year'€™s competition. '€œIt was started in August last year. We'€™ll make preparations.'€

Last year, the President Cup, an independent tournament initiated by a number of clubs, briefly entertained games for soccer fans who had been deprived of the ISL and other domestic and international competitions.

Erick, who is also Italian soccer club Inter Milan'€™s president, said that the organizers were ready to hold another tournament this year, but only if Jokowi gave consent.

'€œ[We are] waiting for an instruction from the President. If he wants it, we will gear up,'€ Erick said.

A number of soccer clubs from the Indonesian Premiere League competed in the President Cup late last year, while 24 clubs from the main division contested another tournament initiated by soccer clubs, the referee organization and transition teams late last year.

Indonesia is currently banned by the world soccer body FIFA from International competitions following the suspension of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), a move regarded by FIFA as a form of unacceptable government intervention.

Jokowi has expressed hopes that the two tournaments could contribute to a revival of soccer frenzy in the country, saying that soccer reform and its revival required patience, sacrifice and support from all related parties.

Erick, who presented an independent financial audit report of the tournament to Jokowi during Tuesday'€™s meeting, said that they had an additional of Rp 1.5 billion (US$106,231) coming from benefits from organizing the competition last year.

According to Erick, the money might be used to help fund another President Cup competition in the future.

Last year'€™s tournament, Maruarar said, was proof that support from all related parties, including soccer clubs, sponsorship organizations, the executive and the Youth and Sports Ministry could help ensure the tournament ran well and in a professional manner.

Other than providing entertainment to the public, the competition had also shown that fair play could be implemented and that the country had good soccer players, Maruarar added.

Persib Bandung emerged as the winner of the President Cup last November, after defeating Sriwijaya FC 2-0. The victory marked back-to-back national soccer honors for Persib after it won last year'€™s ISL.

The issue on PSSI, however, was not on the table.

'€œ[But] I'€™d say that we must indeed find a solution [regarding PSSI] and I believe that the President is currently thinking about the best way to handle the problem,'€ Maruarar added.