On October 3, tear gas fired inside a half-timbered stadium in Indonesia crushed an exit, killing 131 people, including 17 children.
On October 3, tear gas fired inside a half-timbered stadium in Indonesia crushed an exit, killing 131 people, including 17 children.
Indonesia’s president said the country would not face sanctions from football’s world governing body after being crushed on exit after firing tear gas shells inside a half-closed stadium, 131 people died including 17 children,
Joko Widodo said FIFA President Gianni Infantino has written to him in a letter about a possible collaboration between Indonesia and FIFA and that the country will continue to be the host of next year’s Under-20 World Cup involving 24 countries from five continents.
“Based on the letter, thank goodness, Indonesian football is not sanctioned by FIFA,” Mr Widodo said in a video posted on the presidential office’s YouTube channel late Friday.
In its safety protocols, FIFA advises against the use of tear gas in or around stadiums and recommends that exit doors be unlocked at all times during games.
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While those rules are considered a safety standard, they do not apply to domestic or national leagues and FIFA has no authority over how local governments and police control crowds.
Mr Widodo visited the Kanjuruhan soccer stadium in Malang city on Wednesday and said several closed gates had contributed to the disaster, which occurred after a league game between hosts Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya on 1 October. The national police chief said on Thursday that the stadium did not have a proper operation certificate and that criminal charges would be brought against six people, including three police officers.
Indonesia’s national football federation, known locally as PSSI, has long struggled to manage the sport domestically.
Gaining the right to host next year’s Under-20 World Cup was a major milestone in Indonesia’s soccer development, with hopes that a successful tournament would turn around long-standing problems, which have cost the country more than 277 million dollars. The game has been spoiled in people’s homes.
Fatal Crush is a sad reminder, however, that Indonesia is one of the most dangerous countries in which to participate in a sport.
The domestic league has been suspended since last week. Mr Widodo has ordered the sports minister, the national police chief and the football federation to conduct a thorough investigation into the deadly stadium crush.
He said on Friday that the Indonesian government has agreed with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation to take collaborative measures to improve stadium security to prevent another tragedy.
“FIFA, together with the government, will set up a transformation team for Indonesian football,” said Mr. Widodo, adding that Mr. Infantino will also visit Indonesia in the near future.
He said that FIFA will continue during these processes to improve safety standards in all football stadiums across the country, to formulate safety procedures and protocols to police based on international standards, to seek feedback from Indonesian football clubs and fans, to regulate the season calendar. For the course of these processes will be based in Indonesia. Involve experts from various fields for advice as well as risk-based ideas.