Erick told reporters that the PSSI would renovate 22 soccer stadiums to host matches for the U-17 tournament, scheduled for November of this year.
occer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chair Erick Thohir said on Monday that before deciding what to do with the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in North Jakarta, he would focus on renovating other stadiums in the country in preparation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Erick told reporters that the PSSI would renovate 22 soccer stadiums to host matches for the U-17 tournament, scheduled for November of this year.
"Let's not focus on JIS all the time. There are others stadiums that we need to check," Erick said, quoted by Kompas.com.
The state-owned enterprises (SOEs) minister also said the PSSI would wait for world soccer governing body FIFA’s recommendation before deciding whether to use JIS in the tournament.
“Once FIFA comes, they will decide which stadium will be used. Before FIFA comes, what we can do is check the venue," Erick said.
In late June, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo suggested JIS could serve as a venue for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The country's biggest stadium, Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), is hosting a concert by Brit-pop band Coldplay on Nov. 15, which could make it difficult to host matches for the concurrent tournament.
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