T

he final whistle has been blown on the Youth and Sports Ministry’s suspension of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI).

“I have just signed a letter that revokes the previous sanctions against the PSSI,” Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi said on Tuesday evening, referring to the suspension that was issued on April 18 last year, which quickly led to Indonesia being banned from international soccer by world soccer body FIFA.

Imam said unfreezing the PSSI was done in respect of a recent ruling made by the Supreme Court, which decided that the suspension issued by the sports ministry was invalid.

“We also respect a commitment made by FIFA that it will support a reform of Indonesian soccer,” he added.

The minister said that members of the PSSI had the right to make positive changes in the federation.

“Therefore, I think it is fair enough for us to support [the federation] and make sure that the betterment of PSSI — under FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the organization’s rules — will come to fruition,” he added.

In a meeting between Indonesia and FIFA on April 26 in Zurich, the soccer body president Gianni Infantino stated his full support for the reform of Indonesian soccer.

After the meeting, PSSI interim reform committee chief Agum Gumelar announced that FIFA would lift its sanctions on the PSSI only if the Indonesian government released the association from suspension.

The conflict between the sports ministry and the PSSI was triggered by a disagreement over club eligibility for the now-defunct Indonesian Soccer League (ISL).

The PSSI had refused to adhere to the ministry-sponsored Indonesian Professional Sports Body (BOPI) recommendation that Persebaya Surabaya and Arema Malang be excluded from the ISL because of ownership disputes.

All domestic competitions have since been halted and the ministry has demanded the PSSI reform its organizational structure.

In the absence of the league, various parties, including a number of soccer clubs, have initiated independent tournaments such as the President’s Cup and the Independence Cup.

All of the tournaments were fully supported by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The President attended a kick-off of a temporary competition, known as the Torabika Soccer Championship 2016 in Jayapura, Papua, on April 29.
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