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Political row undermines RI’s second chance as FIFA host
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Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo (second right) and several officials inspect the Jakarta International Stadium in North Jakarta on July 4, 2023. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
D
omestic political tensions are threatening yet again to spoil a FIFA youth tournament in Indonesia, as the question of whether the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) meets global sporting standards turns into a partisan squabble.
Indonesia is set to host this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup from Nov. 10 to Dec. 2, after the world’s soccer governing body withdrew Peru’s hosting rights in April over the country’s failure to finish building the infrastructure necessary for the tournament.
Similar issues have arisen in Indonesia as well. Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Complex, the country’s biggest stadium, is booked for a concert by British pop band Coldplay on Nov. 15, conflicting with the dates of the U-17.
The current plan, proposed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in response to the scheduling issue, is to renovate JIS to serve as a venue for the U-17 tournament.
But the proposal has started a political row, with some political camps supporting the choice and others questioning the stadium’s facilities.
JIS was the pet project of former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, who left office in October and is running for president on a platform that opposes many of the Jokowi administration’s policies.
The state of the North Jakarta stadium’s turf has been a hotly debated issue after a Tuesday visit by Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chair Erick Thohir, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, acting Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono and infrastructure experts.
