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Bali governor says he's not to blame for U-20 U-turn
Koster told reporters that the decision had been imposed by the central government.
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Bali Governor I Wayan Koster attends a event for ride-hailing company Grab in which 30 electric motorcycles and seven public electric vehicle battery swap stations were launched in the island province on Nov. 26, 2022. (Courtesy of/Grab)
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ali Governor I Wayan Koster claimed on Monday that he was not responsible for the suspension of the FIFA U-20 World Cup group stage in Bali, despite having issued a statement against the Israeli national team’s participation.
Koster told reporters that the decision had been imposed by the central government.
"This is not my personal stance. This is also the stance from the government," Koster said, as quoted by kompas.com.
He was speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives compound in Central Jakarta on Monday.
When asked to elaborate on the country’s apparent refusal to host the Israeli team, Koster responded, "Please ask those who have the authority."
Over the weekend, world soccer governing body FIFA canceled the tournament’s group stage draw in Bali, scheduled for March 31, only days after Koster, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) issued a statement opposing the participation of Israel in the youth soccer competition.
