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Indonesia ready to host U-17 World Cup, officials say
Indonesia gears up for the U-17 soccer World Cup with stadium renovations and opening events.
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Several construction workers work to fix a sidewalk next to the Jakarta International Stadium in Jakarta on Sept. 22, 2023. The Jakarta Bina Marga road agency aims to finish the sidewalk renovation project around the stadium in October 2023 ahead of the FIFA Under-17 soccer World Cup. (Antara/Asprilla Dwi Adha)
W
ith the renovation of four stadiums complete by the end of October, officials say Indonesia is ready to kick off the opening of the FIFA U-17 soccer World Cup on Nov. 10.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono gave an assurance that the stadiums are fully prepared.
"All stadium preparations for the U-17 World Cup have been completed. All are ready to be utilized," he said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The four host stadiums are the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in Jakarta; Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Surabaya, East Java; Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, West Java; and Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Central Java.
Not all of the stadiums were extensively renovated, however, since three of them were prepared in advance for the 2023 U-20 World Cup prior to its relocation to Argentina. Only the JIS underwent extensive renovation with an added access point and turf replacement.
Erick Thohir, chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), confirmed that the semifinal and final matches would be hosted at Manahan Stadium in Surakarta.
Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka expressed the city's readiness to host the U-17 World Cup.
"All preparations are ready. It's just a matter of execution," the mayor said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the "Accelerating the 5G Ecosystem for Digital Indonesia Vision 2030 and 2045" industry summit held at the Solo Technopark.
Gibran added that the training facilities for the participants were in excellent condition. There are also four government-owned practice fields, namely the Sriwedari Stadium, Kottabarat Field, Sriwaru Field and Banyuanyar Field.
"The infrastructure for the training grounds is complete, and we'll address any further development needs as we progress. There are no major repairs needed at this time," he said.
The mayor revealed that there would be special events leading up to the main event.
"There will be events that fans can attend other than the matches. We will have a trophy experience on Sunday. There will be a surprise,” he said.
